Imbroglio
by dietcokechic
Summary: Ever wanted to buy something really bad? Ever try to do it after getting attacked by aliens? Chapter 14 and 15-Finale!
1. Default Chapter

Title: Imbroglio  
Author: dietcokechic  
Email: dietcokechic@hotmail.com  
Season: Early season 3, slight reference to Legacy.  
Rating: PG  
Category: Mystery/Humor/ some angst later  
  
Summary: Sam has a secret. And no, it is NOT what you think.  
  
Imbroglio: a confused or intricate situation; an entanglement  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Samantha Carter took a deep breath and knocked on her Commanding Officer's   
door. Sam felt nervous and that was an emotion she was just not used to feeling. It   
was just a stupid piece of paper for heaven's sake!   
  
"Come in!" A frustrated voice yelled through the closed door.  
  
"Am I disturbing you Colonel?" Sam asked taking a small step inside. She couldn't   
help but fiddle with the sheets of paper in her left hand. Colonel Jack O'Neill looked   
up from his computer screen and gave his 2IC a small smile. He waved her in and   
hit a few more letters on his keyboard.  
  
"You are SO not disturbing me Major." Jack said frowning at his still impressive-  
looking in box. "Unless you're here to ask for the bases' personnel reviews then I   
am absolutely thrilled by your presence." Sam shook her head as she failed to keep   
her unladylike snort to herself.  
  
"Watch it Major." Jack said trying to sound angry. "I could *order* you to help me   
ya know."  
  
"I don't think I'd be much help Sir." Sam said grinning. "I don't have the clearance   
to look at even half those reports." Jack leaned back in discouragement and ran   
both hands through his ever-silvering hair. "I could give you another promotion."   
He offered. Sam laughed out loud.   
  
"I think those are usually spaced a bit further apart Sir." It had barely been a month   
since her last one.   
  
"Just an idea." Jack muttered letting out a heavy sigh. God he hated paperwork.  
  
"So what CAN I help you with Major?" Jack asked with a little too much enthusiasm.   
Hell, he'd help Carter design some sort of naquada doo-hickey himself if it got him   
out of this damned office.  
  
"Well you see Sir…" Sam had just opened her mouth when a very excited and   
disheveled Daniel Jackson barged into the room.  
  
"Jack! You'll never guess what I've discovered…." Suddenly he noticed Sam   
standing rather stiffly near the door. "Oops. Sorry guys." He ducked his head   
looking suitably embarrassed.   
  
Jack rolled his eyes and chuckled softly. It was good to have Daniel back. The   
Machello virus thingy had taken a lot out of their young archaeologist and it had only   
been in the last couple of days that Jack finally felt that Daniel was back to normal.   
At least as normal as Daniel ever was…  
  
"Don't worry about it Daniel." Sam said soothingly. She also felt more than her fair   
share of guilt at having Daniel committed to a psychiatric hospital.   
  
"You sure Major?" Jack asked eyeing the crumpled papers in her hand.  
  
"It's nothing important Sir." Sam said with a shrug. "I'm sure whatever Daniel was   
going to tell you is way more interesting."  
  
"You heard the lady Danny." Jack said standing up and stretching. "What's the big   
news?"  
  
Together, all three headed toward the briefing room as Daniel eagerly began sharing   
his latest anthropological discovery. Sam stuffed the papers into her pocket and   
promised herself she would talk to the Colonel later.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Dammit, dammit, dammit!" Sam said as she hung up the phone. This was the   
third time this week she had had to reschedule and Evan was quickly losing patience.   
Not that she blamed the guy. It was tough to try and nail down any definitive times   
what with saving the planet from Alien invasion and meeting alternative duplicates of   
yourself and all. Sam still was trying to come to terms with that little adventure.   
Especially how the Colonel.. Sam shook her head to dispel the rather disturbing   
image of herself (or rather Dr. Carter) kissing the Colonel. She really didn't know   
what to make of that and decided it was best to NOT dwell on it.  
  
"Well, at least I got the papers signed!" Sam mumbled to herself. She felt a little   
guilty about that. In the end the Colonel had signed them along with a bunch of   
other things after their last mission. It wasn't as if she had tricked him into signing   
it or anything, it was just some personal papers and when the Colonel asked her if   
he needed to be concerned about what he was signing, Sam had answered honestly.   
No. It was SO not a big deal.  
  
//If it's so not a big deal Sam, than why don't you tell them?//  
  
"Because!" Sam said aloud sounding more than a little like Cassie. She knew she   
was being ridiculous, and yet… And yet, she had taken it this far on her own, she   
might as well take it all the way.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Jack was just about ready to enter Sam's office when he heard her talking on the   
phone.  
  
"Evan, I promise I'll be there this evening." Sam said plaintively into the telephone.   
"Yes, I do have to plans for this morning, but it's a simple, uh, experiment and we're   
certain to finish up at a decent hour. No, we shouldn't reschedule." Jack saw her   
nodding and scribbling something down on a piece of paper. "Got it. That's near the   
old elementary school, right?" More nodding. "I'll be there by 6:00. I promise."   
More nodding and Jack could see Sam visibly exhaling. "Thanks Evan. I have a   
good feeling about this one, you'll see!" Sam let out a dry laugh. "Have you no   
faith? I'll make you a rich man yet Evan Thomas! See you at 6."  
  
Sam hung up the phone feeling more hopeful than she had in days.   
  
"Hot date Major?" Jack asked leaning against the door. Sam visible jumped.  
  
"Sir!" Sam said admonishing herself for being so flighty. "I didn't hear you come   
in."  
  
"Sorry to startle you Carter. Just gathering the flock for the P2X-whatever briefing."  
  
"P2X-629 Sir." Sam said gathering up a couple of folders and turning off her   
monitor.  
  
"Right." Jack said nodding his head sagely. Noticing that Sam did not offer any   
information about the mysterious 'Evan' Jack decided not to pry. If he had   
overheard Daniel talking on the phone with a woman, he would spare him no mercy   
with the ribbing. But Sam was different. Jack hated the fact that he felt this way,   
but ever since meeting the infamous Dr. Carter, he had found himself looking at his   
Carter a little differently. Nothing really un-regulationish- just different. He still   
depended on her to save his ass from the many stupid stunts he pulled off world and   
she had more than proven her skills as both a scientist and a soldier. If Sam wanted   
to date a guy named Evan that was her business. But Jack honestly didn't need to   
know anything more. He actually preferred it that way  
  
  
Samantha Carter was pissed. Royally pissed. This mission was supposed to take   
less than 4 hours. Hell, had everything gone according to plan, they would have   
been back at the SGC by 1400, cleaned and cleared from medical by 1500 and   
debriefed by 1600. There should have been plenty of time. And yet….  
  
And yet here she was attempting to both hide and make her way back to the   
Stargate. Sam gripped her P-90 firmly as she caught up to the Colonel and Teal'c.   
She quickly squatted down next to them.  
  
"What's the plan Sir?" Sam whispered searching the trees for disgruntled villagers.  
  
"We know they plan on doing something entirely not nice to Daniel at the foot of the   
Stargate." Jack said as he efficiently reloaded his weapon with a fresh clip. They   
knew of course because the thoughtful natives had proceeded to tell them so. Why   
did these guys always go for the pacifists? Luckily they still had their "earth"   
weapons, although a zat gun would be mighty useful just about now. The irony of   
the situation was not lost on O'Neill. Normally all SGC going off world were given   
both zats and other assorted weapons, but this mission was supposed to be just a   
little two hour treaty signing and because of the limited number of zats in the   
armory, it was decided to just stick with the basics. Right. As if THAT seemed to be   
helping matters.  
  
The real kicker was that it was Daniel who had successfully argued for a zat instead   
of his usual sidearm. Daniel never was too keen on permanently disabling weaponry   
and tended to favor the zat whenever possible. Jack grimaced remembering how   
surprised Daniel had been as he was grabbed and held at knifepoint. There had   
been no time for him to reach for his weapon. The kid pulled all the right moves in   
attempting to free himself but there had been too many and the blunt blade being   
held at Daniel's throat did a very good job at dissuading SG-1 from coming any   
closer. Jack kicked himself for not realizing how backwards these people really were.   
Trade negotiations eh? More like human sacrifices. And gee, one smart   
archaeologist was just what their gods had ordered.   
  
"Teal'c, I'm counting on you to draw as many as you can away from the gate so that   
I can grab Daniel. Carter, I'll try and give you as much cover as possible so you can   
dial us out of here, but keep your head down ok? I think we've overstayed our   
welcome here."  
  
"Understood Sir." Sam said nodding as she stood up.  
  
Moving like the well-conditioned soldiers that they were the team approached the   
Stargate from three different sides and Teal'c was successful in drawing many of   
them away from the DHD. Shooting bullets at the ground, Jack was able to scare   
many of the villagers away from Daniel and together the two of them were able to   
fight off the few remaining men with little injury to themselves. Sam however wasn't   
so lucky.  
  
Sam pressed the glyphs as fast as she could as she kept a peripheral eye out for   
approaching villagers. She could hear the Colonel's weapon fire and Daniel's shouts   
and could sense the departure of the majority of the villagers. They knew their   
knives and clubs were no match against SG-1's weapons and were hoping that the   
sacrifice of one of the off-worlders would protect them. Sam fervently wished they   
had brought more zats with them, as these people did not deserve to die for their   
beliefs. But neither did her teammates- hence the firefight and the rather quick exit   
off this planet.  
  
Sam could hear Daniel's assertions that he was fine and his pleadings with Jack not   
to hurt them, and could just make out Teal'c's sleek form as he began doubling back   
toward the Stargate. She exhaled as she pressed the last glyph; they were going to   
make it. A shadow suddenly fell across the DHD and before Sam could even turn   
around, a heavy club struck her painfully in the side. Sam bent over to catch her   
breath and reached for the knife strapped securely against her leg. Before she had a   
chance to unsheathe it, the club was raised again and fell sickeningly against her   
skull.   
  
"Sam!!" Daniel shouted just as the gate flared to life. Jack spun around just as Sam   
sank bonelessly to the ground. He cursed as he fired several rounds of bullets into   
Sam's attacker. Screw passive defense! The guy just brained his Major! The   
attacker was spun around with the force of the bullets and fell dead across Sam's   
limp body.  
  
"Daniel! Go on through and get a med team ready!" Jack yelled as he ran towards   
Sam's silent form. Daniel quickly keyed SG-1's access code and with one final glance   
towards Sam, stepped through the wormhole.  
  
"Carter, you hear me?" Jack asked as he awkwardly kneeled next to her. He rolled   
the dead villager off of Sam's body and critically evaluated her injury as he pressed   
two fingers against her carotid artery; pulse was a bit erratic but strong. A rather   
nasty looking scalp wound was visible just behind her left ear and like all head   
wounds, had begun to bleed profusely. Jack gingerly felt around the laceration and   
was thankful that Carter seemed to have been blessed with a very hard head. No   
apparent skull fracture. Probable concussion though and of course she was bleeding   
WAY too much. There might be other injuries as well, but for now the obvious head   
wound was the main concern. Jack quickly reached into one of his flak jacket   
pockets and pulled out several wrapped packages of gauze.  
  
"Teal'c!" Jack yelled without looking up.   
  
"I am here O'Neill."   
  
"Any more?" Jack asked as he ripped open the packages and began to press the   
clean bandages carefully around the edges of the wound. He didn't have time to   
pack it properly, he just wanted to stabilize her and get her home.  
  
"They are keeping their distance." Teal'c said calmly. "For now."  
  
Jack nodded and motioned for Teal'c to move beside him. Before he could tell his   
friend what he wanted him to do Sam moaned.  
  
"Major?"   
  
"God what hit me?" Sam whispered hoarsely closing her eyes tightly to block out the   
harsh planetary light.  
  
"Really big stick." Jack said grimly. Sam attempted to nod, hissed in pain and Jack   
could feel her body relaxing as she attempted to slip back towards unconsciousness.   
  
"Stay with me Carter!" Jack ordered as he attempted to apply another wad of gauze   
to the rapidly reddening first layer.  
  
"'k." Sam said refusing to open her eyes.  
  
"Sam, I need you to move your fingers and feet for me, ok?" Sam moved a few   
fingers and began to drift back into oblivion.  
  
"Not done yet Carter!" Jack said sternly. "Now the feet Major." Jack urged lightly   
tapping her right foot.  
  
"O'Neill, we must depart soon." Teal'c said eyeing the moving villagers. They were   
attracted to the open Stargate.  
  
"Not until Carter moves her feet for me Teal'c!" Jack said angrily. "You hear that   
Carter? We aren't going anywhere until you can prove to me that you just have a   
rather painful headache and nothing more serious."  
  
"O'Neill!" Teal'c said urgently firing his staff weapon several times at the   
approaching army of villagers.  
  
"Dammit Teal'c! If we move her without making certain she doesn't have a spinal   
injury we could paralyze her!" Teal'c understood the situation, but the growing wall   
of villagers approaching would soon overwhelm them. They needed to move. Now.  
  
As if sensing their urgency, Sam ever so slightly twitched her right foot.  
  
"Good enough!" Jack yelled standing up and firing several rounds away towards the   
looming villagers. "Teal'c?" Needing no further direction, Teal'c carefully lifted up   
the once again silent form of Major Carter and as quickly as possible made his way   
up the stairs towards the Stargate. Jack was right behind him and together they   
stepped through the shimmering blue wall just as the first of the villagers began   
advancing up the steps.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Intrigued? Curious? The story really is about the little piece of paper. Well..sortof.   
You'll see what I mean. I'll try and finish this story up today. ALTHOUGH it always   
encourages a poor writer to writer faster when folks review… 


	2. Chapter 2

Part 2  
  
"Close the iris!" Jack yelled as soon as he felt the metal SGC ramp beneath his feet.   
He heard the sounds of the titanium metal closing and exhaled a breath he didn't   
know he had been holding. Teal'c was already placing Sam onto a gurney as Janet   
Fraiser quickly moved to assess the damage. Both Daniel and General Hammond   
were also waiting at the foot of the ramp.  
  
"I only saw the blow to the head Doc." Jack began. "She might have sustained   
other injuries as well."  
  
"God Jack, what took you so long?!" Daniel asked frowning as he took in Sam's still   
form for the first time. Why'd there have to be so much damn blood?! "I've been   
here for over five minutes!!"  
  
"Wanted to make certain Carter didn't have a spinal injury." Jack said in a tight   
voice. //Dammit Danny, I got her back here as soon as I could.//  
  
"And?" Dr. Fraisier asked as she lifted up one edge of the now useless gauze to eye   
the damage underneath.  
  
"She passed the fingers and toes test with flying colors." Jack said rubbing a hand   
gruffly over his face. He hated head injuries. Hated them. Too many variables…  
  
"Good." Janet said standing up. "I'm taking her to x-ray to check for a possible   
skull fracture before sewing up her laceration. I expect all three of you in the   
infirmary for your own checkups as well." Jack, Daniel and Teal'c all nodded.  
  
"General, with your permission.."  
  
"SG-1, get yourselves cleaned up and report to the infirmary. We'll debrief after Dr.   
Fraiser finishes assessing Major Carter's injuries."  
  
General Hammond let out a small sigh as all three men walked swiftly out of the   
room. At least they all made it home.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
1630 Hours  
  
Sam blinked painfully in the strong light. "Ouch."  
  
"Hey Carter." Jack said trying to sound nonchalant. It was a little strange seeing   
Sam lying so still and wrapped in clean white bandages; usually this was more   
Daniel's gig. Not that Jack wished Daniel ill will or anything, it was just odd seeing   
Sam Carter here in the infirmary. Thank god there weren't any snakes about this   
time.  
  
"Welcome back."  
  
"How long?" Sam asked hoarsely. Jack poured her a glass of water, which Sam   
accepted with a small smile.  
  
"Small sips Major." Jack ordered taking the cup away before Sam downed the whole   
thing. "We don't want Fraiser getting all mad at me for making you sick."  
  
"I would say not." A voice said from behind him.  
  
"Hi Janet." Sam said struggling to sit up. She winced slightly but managed to pull   
herself up to a more supine position. All in all, she didn't feel so bad. Sam took a   
moment to look around. Infirmary. The slight itch on her arm meant an IV.  
  
"Do you know where you are Sam?" Janet asked her friend cautiously.   
  
"The Infirmary." Sam said with a sigh. She knew the drill. "I'm Major Samantha   
Carter, you're Dr. Janet Fraiser and that's Colonel Jack O'Neill." Sam said grinning   
as she pointed at the serious-looking Jack O'Neill. Jack breathed a sigh of relief and   
cracked a small smile himself.   
  
"Don't ask me the date Janet because I honestly didn't know it before I left this   
morning." Jack bit back a small chuckle. "Its Thursday I believe. September 1999.   
The last thing I remember was dialing home from P2X-629." Sam paused replaying   
the last few moments she remembered. "Everyone make it home ok?"  
  
"Daniel has a new knick on his neck from one of the knives, but in another day or so   
it will look like a shaving accident."   
  
"You and Teal'c all right Sir?"  
  
"Just peachy Major. Teal'c thinks you should cut back on the chocolate bars   
however. He said you weighed a ton!"  
  
"He did not." Sam said with a frown.  
  
"Did too."  
  
"Children!" Janet said shaking her head. "This is an infirmary and I'd like you to at   
least pretend to be respectful here, all right?" Both Jack and Sam nodded and Janet   
did not fail to see the look of pain flicker across Sam's face.  
  
"Judging from my headache, I really was hit in the head with a big stick, huh?"  
  
"Yep." Jack confirmed with a short nod. She remembered their short conversation   
on the planet. Definitely a good sign.  
  
"Sam, you also bruised two ribs on your right side. Do you remember how that   
happened?"  
  
"Before I got walloped on the head, I also got hit in the stomach." Sam said ducking   
her head. "Sorry Sir."  
  
"Nothing to be sorry about Major. Heck, if anyone should be sorry, it should be me   
for not supplying you with enough cover. It's damn hard to dial us home and protect   
yourself at the same time." Sam just nodded, she still felt like she let the team   
down.  
  
"Up for some visitors?" Janet asked making a few notations in Sam's chart.   
  
"Sure.." Sam began. "Wait!" She shouted holding out her arm. "What time is it?!"  
  
"1630." Janet said more than a little confused. Was there something she missed?  
  
"Good, there's still time." Sam said as she shoved the covers off of her. A rather   
cool draft reminded her that she was dressed in regulation infirmary scrubs. The   
gown variety.  
  
"Hold it right there Major." Janet said in her serious Chief Medical Officer voice.   
"You're not going anywhere."  
  
"What's the rush Carter?" Jack asked confused. "It's not like you have a hot date.."   
Ah shit. She DID have a hot date, didn't she? "I'm sure he'll understand Carter."   
Jack said a bit awkwardly.  
  
"You don't understand Sir!" Sam said getting impatient. Why was her head starting   
to hurt NOW? "I've already rescheduled twice before. I HAVE to go meet him!"  
  
"Sam, just calm down, ok?" Janet said placing her hand on her friend's shoulder.   
"You have been unconscious for a little over an hour Sam and although you are   
coherent now, you still may have a possible concussion. Plus I know both your head   
and your ribs must be hurting you as I haven't given you any pain killers yet."   
  
"Janet, I'll be fine. Just give me a couple Tylenol and I'll promise to take it easy."  
  
"I don't think so Sam." Janet said shaking her head.  
  
"Janet!" Sam said struggling not to let her emotions take control. "I promise to   
return to the infirmary this evening, but I really need to go and meet someone."   
  
"Dammit Carter, it's just a damn date! Call the guy up and reschedule." Janet's   
eyebrows shot towards her hairline. Sam was seeing a guy? She hadn't mentioned   
it…  
  
"It isn't a date SIR." Sam said suddenly very tired. Dammit, she needed to go and   
her body was most definitely not cooperating.  
  
"Then who's Evan?" Jack asked curiously.  
  
"My real estate agent." Sam said softly.  
  
"Your WHAT?"   
  
"Real estate agent Sir. I'm buying a house. Or rather attempting too. Every house   
my agent has found that supposedly fits my needs gets snatched up by someone   
else before I can even see it!" Sam said taking a shuttering breath.  
  
"You were talking to your real estate agent?" Jack asked again.  
  
"Yes Sir." Very tired now.  
  
"And you are supposed to be meeting him at 6, right?" Sam nodded struggling hard   
to keep her eyes open.  
  
"Is it ok for Carter to sleep now Doc?" Jack asked  
  
"Sure. We just need to wake her up every few hours to make sure the head injury   
isn't getting worse." Sam was obviously keeping herself awake by pure strength of   
will.  
  
"Sleep now Carter. I'll wake you up in a few minutes, ok?"   
  
"Promise?" Sam asked fighting to keep her eyes open.  
  
"Promise." Jack said nodding. Sam had never known her CO to lie to her and   
accepted his answer as canon. She allowed her body to relax and closed her eyes.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"You want to WHAT?" Janet yelled.  
  
"Take Carter to see her agent." Jack said calmly.  
  
"No way!" Janet said shaking her head. "Colonel, in case you haven't noticed, Major   
Carter was *unconscious* for over 60 minutes. This is not something to be taken   
lightly! She has a probable concussion, bruised ribs and will probably be feeling a   
hell of a lot worse before she gets better!"  
  
Jack held up a hand to calm the doctor down.  
  
"Janet, you told me yourself that Sam does not have any broken bones and the head   
injury appears to be minor." He again held up his hand as Janet tried to interrupt.   
"I know head injuries are no laughing matter, but as long as she isn't left alone there   
isn't really anything more she can do to herself is there?" Jack waited patiently for   
Janet to voice all her objections.  
  
"If Sam were to get up, she'll probably get sick, experience bouts of dizziness and   
disorientation and none of this will help the pain in either her head or torso…"  
  
"This won't take more than an hour Janet." Jack said trying to get the diminutive   
doctor to change her mind. "I think Sam has been thinking about buying a house for   
months now and I get the feeling this is really important to her." He could see Janet   
was almost ready to change her mind.  
  
"Carter's been through a hell of a lot in the last year Doc. The least we can do is let   
her look at one little house."  
  
Janet continued to shake her head, but Jack could see it was with resignation and   
not objection.   
  
"Daniel and I will escort her to the house, make sure she doesn't say anything hinky   
to the real estate guy and even hold her hair back if she needs to get sick."  
  
"Sam has short hair Colonel." Janet said with a small shake of the head.  
  
"You know what I mean Doc." Jack said sticking both hands into the pockets of his   
pants. He had done all he could. If Janet really felt the need to keep Carter here on   
base there really wasn't anything he could do about it. Amazing how much power   
one little CMO can wield….   
  
"Go get Daniel Colonel. I want to go over ALL the symptoms and possible   
treatments for someone in Sam's condition. And I DEFINITELY want to see her back   
at the SGC later this evening. Understood?  
  
"Yes Ma'am!" Jack said giving Janet a sloppy salute as he headed off to find Daniel.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Well? Did you see that coming?? I haven't seen all of Season 2 or 3 yet, so I   
apologize if Sam doesn't actually move into a house until later. You MIGHT think you   
know where this is going, but I promise you it will throw you for a bit of a loop. Heh,   
heh, heh. 


	3. Chapter 3

Part 3  
  
1730 Hours  
  
Janet bit her lip slightly as she disconnected the IV. Sam's blood pressure was just   
about normal and she seemed to be coherent and in good spirits, but Janet was   
more than aware how quickly that could change. Head injuries were notoriously   
fickle.  
  
"Janet, I feel fine." Sam said as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed.   
Instantly an extreme feeling of vertigo swept over her and Sam gripped the edges of   
the bed to keep herself from falling off. The act did not go unnoticed by Dr. Janet   
Fraiser.   
  
"Sam, you have a Grade 3 concussion and I should be shot for agreeing to let you do   
this." Sam rested her hand on her friend's arm.  
  
"Janet, this is really important to me."  
  
"I know Sam, it's just.."  
  
"You're worried."  
  
"Of course I'm worried!" Janet said handing Sam her jeans and a button down shirt.   
"If SG-3 wasn't expected back in the next hour, I'd be going with you."  
  
"I'm sure the Colonel and Daniel will take very good care of me." Sam said rolling   
her eyes as she pulled her jeans on under the gown. A small hiss escaped her lips as   
the jeans rubbed against her injured side.  
  
"What I wouldn't give for a pair of hip-huggers right about now." Sam muttered.  
  
"I don't suppose you have an elastic skirt anywhere on base?" Janet asked, knowing   
full well what the answer would be.  
  
"Janet, I don't think I OWN an elastic skirt!" Sam said wrinkling her nose in distaste.  
  
"Lift up your gown a little more Sam." Janet said sounding suspiciously more like a   
doctor than a friend. Sam did so and tried to look down to inspect the damage. The   
excess material of the hospital gown prevented her from seeing much more than a   
glimpse of purple and green.   
  
Janet unbuttoned the top of Sam's jeans and slid the zipper down half way to get a   
better view of Sam's injuries. Janet shook her head and sighed.  
  
"Sam, jeans just aren't going to work. Although the damaged ribs themselves are   
several centimeters above your waistline, there is extensive bruising across most of   
your lower torso. I can't have you moving about in restrictive clothing." Sam   
crinkled her eyebrows in annoyance as she tried to recall if there was anything   
suitable in her office.  
  
"It might look a little funny, but unless you can think of anything better, you're   
walking out of here in hospital scrubs." Janet held up a hand to stop the objection.   
"Just over the legs Sam. You can wear whatever you want on top." Janet could see   
that Sam wasn't crazy about the idea. Thin blue cotton pants screamed 'hospital'   
and Sam was going to be seen in public. Clearly not thrilled, Sam mumbled her   
acquiescence.  
  
Carefully Sam shed the hospital gown not at all surprised at the lack of bra   
underneath. Idly she wondered if the sports bra had been salvaged or cut to ribbons   
in order to remove it. Sam couldn't help but chuckle to herself as she imagined how   
it might appear if she were to deduct the bra as a 'business expense' from her taxes.  
  
Five minutes later she was completely dressed except for her boots. Sam had begun   
feeling a little queasy as she struggled with the socks but was able to hold the   
nausea at bay. With any luck, she'd make it to the house and back without any   
mishaps.  
  
"Sam I administered a mild pain reliever through the IV before it was disconnected.   
It isn't much stronger than a couple extra-strength Tylenol, but I really don't want to   
give you anything more at the moment. It's important that we don't do anything to   
mask additional signs of a more serious head injury."   
  
"I understand Janet." Sam said sighing as she absently rubbed her temples. She   
knew this probably wasn't the best idea on the planet (any planet really) but didn't   
want to keep putting her life on hold for the SGC. All she had to do was go in, take a   
look around the house and perhaps make an initial offer. Piece of cake.  
  
"Hey Sam." Daniel said warmly stepping into the infirmary. "I hear we're going on a   
field trip." Sam gave her friend a small smile as she eyed her boots with disdain.   
Daniel immediately noticed her problem and moved to help.  
  
"I have SO been in this position before Sam." Daniel said with a small chuckle as he   
bent down to help Sam put her boots on. "Remember last year when I sprained my   
wrist?"  
  
"The Colonel looked all over for Size 10 tennis shoes with Velcro strips!" Sam said   
remembering.  
  
"He should have looked longer!" Daniel groused. "The blue fluffy slippers he bought   
me instead didn't do a lot for my image as the SGC's resident Geek." He finished   
tying the boots and gave Sam's leg a light squeeze. "Ready?"  
  
"As ready as I'll ever be." Sam said carefully standing up. The room tilted jarringly   
to the left before leveling off as Sam adjusted her equilibrium. Standing did NOT   
help her headache. The pounding seemed to be increasing in its intensity. She took   
a deep breath.  
  
"You all right Sam?" Janet asked worriedly as she eyed her friend's pale face. Sam   
had lost several shades of color as she rose.  
  
"Fine Janet." Sam said tightly. "Where's the Colonel?"  
  
"He's changing into his civvies and said he'd meet us up top." Daniel said. Sam   
nodded.  
  
Moving much slower than normal, the pair walked in companionable silence towards   
the elevator. Daniel instinctively keeping close to Sam's side in case she felt faint.   
Janet had given both himself and Jack explicit directions on the care of head injuries.   
Under no circumstances were they to leave Sam alone. Another fall would be very,   
very dangerous. Daniel prayed Sam wouldn't need to go to the bathroom before   
they returned. They boarded the elevator and began the ascent up the mountain.  
  
Daniel looked at the determination on his friend's face and marveled once again at   
the sheer tenacity that made up Dr. Major Samantha Carter. Or was it Major   
Doctor?  
  
"Sam can I ask you a question?" Daniel asked a little awkwardly.  
  
"Of course Daniel." Sam said sliding down the elevator's wall to the floor. The ride   
up took well over a minute and there was no reason for Sam to stay vertical the   
entire time. Daniel sat down next to her.  
  
"Why'd you keep the whole house buying thing a secret? You know we'd be there if   
you wanted us to be and leave you alone if you wanted to do it all on your own."   
Sam nodded; she knew. Daniel's question was not unexpected and she had been   
wondering herself if she'd be able to explain it.  
  
"I honestly didn't plan on keeping it a secret Daniel." Sam said rubbing her   
forehead. "After we made it back to OUR SGC, I realized that it was high time to set   
some permanent roots on this planet. I wanted not only a home to call my own, but   
a house as well. I began doing a little research and had just finished interviewing   
realtors when dad arrived with news about Seth." Now it was Daniel's turn to nod,   
that had been a rather, uh electrifying experience. "After we had straightened that   
mess out, I stayed with dad and Mark for another couple of days."  
  
"I really was going to talk to the Colonel and get some home-buying advice after the   
awards ceremony last month. But.." Sam couldn't help but grin. "The Colonel was   
a bit indisposed before the ceremony even ended." Daniel laughed. It wasn't   
everyday a United States Colonel was 'beamed' up to an alien spaceship.  
  
"That was the first time I cancelled on Evan. I couldn't very well tell him I needed to   
cancel due to the fact that I was attending an intergalactic conference to determine   
the fate of our planet!"  
  
"No. I suppose you couldn't." Daniel said in a dry voice. "Although, it might have   
been interesting to have seen his reaction." Sam laughed and then shut her eyes in   
pain. Laughing was definitely out for the duration of her concussion.  
  
"Sorry Sam." Daniel said mentally kicking himself for causing Sam discomfort.  
  
"Don't worry about it Daniel." Sam said in a tight voice as she took a deep breath in   
and then out. The pain faded and Sam continued with her story.  
  
"The Colonel actually spent a lot of time behind closed doors after our 'summit' so I   
pretty much decided to not bother him with my little house hunting adventure."   
Sam looked sadly into Daniel's eyes. "I had planned to bring you in on the fun after   
we came back from P3C-599." Daniel unconsciously shuddered.  
  
"Not my finest hour." He says softly.  
  
"Nor mine." Sam still felt a tremendous amount of guilt for allowing her friend to be   
locked away. Daniel took Sam's hand and gave it a small squeeze. "It all worked   
out in the end Sam."  
  
"Thank God." The elevator continued its silent ascent towards the surface.  
  
"The second aborted house hunting attempt was on the day…" Sam couldn't bare to   
say 'on the day we had you committed' so instead said, "During that time."  
  
"Which brings us to today." Daniel said as the elevator doors opened. He helped   
Sam stand up.  
  
"Which brings us to today." Sam said as she gingerly stepped out of the elevator   
and into the stronger light. Daniel instantly realized that Sam didn't have any   
sunglasses. They were still several meters from the mountain's entrance, but   
already the unfiltered light was starting to affect Sam. She closed her eyes tightly   
against the brightness.  
  
"Sam, stay right here for a sec, ok?" Sam nodded through shielded eyes. God her   
head hurt. Why couldn't she have just broken her leg or something?   
  
Daniel quickly jogged around the corner until he found Jack leaning against a car.  
  
"No truck?" Daniel asked a little confused at seeing his friend beside such an   
ordinary little car. Well medium size car anyhow.  
  
"More comfortable for Carter." Jack explained.  
  
"Right. Listen Jack, Sam's over at the elevators and doesn't have any sunglasses. I   
can't loan her mine because they're prescription…" Jack took a moment to scan   
around the garage. Bingo!  
  
Although he would gladly loan Sam his glasses, they would not only be quite large on   
her smaller face, but Jack sort of needed the lenses to drive in the bright fall   
sunshine.  
  
"Corporal!" He called to the petite sentry near the front gates.  
  
"Colonel O'Neill, Sir!" Corporal Gladstone said with a sharp salute.  
  
"Corporal, I was wondering if you could do me a favor." Jack said giving the   
intimidated young woman a dazzling smile.  
  
"Anything Sir."  
  
"I was hoping you'd say that." Jack said with a grin.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Looks like a nice neighborhood Carter." Jack said pulling up to the trim blue house.   
The sun was just beginning to set but Sam wasn't taking the glasses off until she   
was safely inside. Daniel exited the car and forgetting about Sam's head, slammed   
the door loudly behind him. Sam moaned in pain as the sound reverberated through   
her head.  
  
"Dammit Daniel!" Jack hissed gently laying a hand on his Major's arm. He could feel   
her shaking ever so slightly.  
  
"God Sam, I'm so sorry!" Daniel said in a quiet voice as he walked around the car   
towards her.  
  
"Shit." Sam said softly as she yanked her door open and proceeded to get sick on   
the nicely manicured yawn. Jack moved his hand to her back and kept it there until   
she was finished. Wordlessly he handed her a Kleenex, glaring menacingly at Daniel   
through the open door.  
  
"Thanks Sir." Sam whispered wiping her mouth. Daniel handed her a nalgene   
container filled with water. Sam nodded her thanks to Daniel as well.  
  
"I would have gotten sick regardless Daniel." Sam said after taking a large swig.   
"The ride over didn't sit too well."  
  
"Sorry Carter." Jack said accepting full responsibility for the driving. He unfastened   
his belt and began to open the door.  
  
"Hold it!" Sam said sounding stronger than she felt. "Before we go in, let's get one   
thing straight." She looked first at the Colonel and then at Daniel "None of this is   
your fault, ok? I'm the one with a stupid headache and I'm the one who insisted on   
coming out here. With luck that," Sam made a hand motion towards the curb, "will   
be the last of the physical manifestations of this injury, but if it's not.." She looked   
again at Jack and Daniel. "It won't be your fault. Understood?" Both nodded.  
  
Daniel helped Sam out of the car while Jack exited his own side.   
  
"Carter, only you can feel like crap and still use words like 'manifestations'." Jack   
said with a chuckle.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I know, I know- I can't believe I don't even have them in the damn house yet.   
Coming soon! Everyone have a good New Years. 


	4. Chapter 4

SO sorry this has taken so long for me to update.   
  
To summarize: Sam's attempting to buy a house, but before she can go look at one   
she gets hit in the noggin'. The only way Janet will allow her to leave the infirmary   
is if she has an escort- that's where Jack and Daniel come in.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Imbroglio  
Chapter 4  
  
Slowly the trio walked the short distance from the driveway to the front of the house.   
Just as they were about to knock on the door, Daniel stopped short and smacked a   
hand into his forehead.  
  
"Forgot the water in the car." Daniel said in explanation. Grumbling slightly, Jack   
handed him the keys and turned back towards the front door. Just was they were   
about to knock the door opened.  
  
"Samantha!" A cheerful voice bellowed out. Sam winced at the noise and Jack   
resisted the urge to deck the guy.  
  
"Hi Evan." Sam said with a faked cheerfulness. "Hope I'm not late."  
  
"Not at all, not at all." Evan said cheerfully opening the door wider and ushering   
them inside. He cocked his head in puzzlement as he took in Sam's blue hospital   
scrubs, bandaged head and surly looking male companion.  
  
"I didn't know you were bringing your boyfriend Samantha." Evan said   
conversationally.   
  
Sam turned a dark shade of pink as Jack let out a choked snort. "Not her boyfriend."   
He said simply as he took a moment to eye the entryway; the place wasn't so bad   
actually. Evan led the pair through the entry way and towards the kitchen.  
  
"What'd I miss?" Daniel asked as he walked through the still open front door with   
the flask of water. Evan turned back towards the new arrival.  
  
"So *you* must be the boyfriend?" Evan asked politely.  
  
"What me?" Daniel said turning his own version of crimson. "Sam's boyfriend? No   
way!" Evan watched as Samantha tried not to smile and the other man chuckled.   
He was more than a little confused. Whatever happened to a simple house viewing?  
  
"Can't see yourself paired with me, huh Daniel?" Sam asked mischievously.  
  
"Sam, that would be wrong on so many levels, I don't know where to begin."   
  
"One would be you're married." Jack added distractedly as he crouched down to eye   
the wood flooring. It appeared to be oak. Very nice.  
  
"That would be the major obstacle, yes." Daniel said nodding growing more than   
slightly flustered. "Plus the fact that.."  
  
"Relax Daniel." Sam said holding out a hand to stop the flustered archaeologist from   
continuing. "Although I can rattle off at least a dozen women at the SGC who would   
jump at the chance to.. well.."  
  
"Jump him?" Jack said helpfully running a finger along the floor molding before   
standing back up.  
  
"Jack?!"   
  
"Danny," Jack said in exasperation, "whether you like it or not, you're a good looking   
guy in your early 30's and you're going to have to deal with it." Jack started to walk   
down the entryway. He passed an open door that housed a small bathroom. The   
house's floor plan was very open and light-filled.  
  
"Craftsman-built?" He asked the realtor ignoring Daniel's rather vocal protests   
behind him as he walked passed the open entryway on his left (dining room) and   
into the kitchen.  
  
Evan stared dumbfounded at the interaction between these rather strange people.   
Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to take on military personnel…  
  
"Who ARE you people?" Evan asked finally stopping in his tracks.  
  
"Oops, sorry." Jack said holding out his hand. "Jack O'Neill. I'm Carter's CO."   
Seeing the still confused look on Evan's face, Jack clarified. "I'm Samantha's   
commanding officer. The talkative guy behind me is Daniel. We both work with   
Sam."  
  
Evan nodded in hopeful understanding. "Does Samantha always need an escort   
when she leaves work?"  
  
"Not usually." Jack said in all seriousness. "But Carter here had a bit of a mishap   
this afternoon." He grimaced slightly as he remembered the sickening sound the   
villager's weapon made as it struck Sam in the head.  
  
"I didn't realize Samantha's work was so dangerous." Evan said with a frown.   
'Maybe it would be better to try and get the Henderson's to buy this house.' He   
thought to himself.  
  
Jack quickly realized that they were scaring Sam's realtor and swiftly back-peddled.   
"You know Carter's an Astrophysicist, right?"  
  
Evan wrinkled his eyebrows as he tried to recall. "She has an advanced degree in   
something dealing with space, right?"  
  
"A Doctorate in fact." Daniel added. "I believe she received that before her 25th   
birthday."  
  
"Daniel." Sam stage whispered looking rather embarrassed.  
  
"Carter runs the whole scientific division out on the base." Jack said proudly. "I'm   
the Second in Command of the whole facility and Sam here is my Second, which   
makes her a Very Important Person." Jack looked at Evan as if daring him to   
contradict.  
  
"Colonel!" Sam said both embarrassed and suddenly very dizzy. She reached out   
and placed a hand on a long rectangular table in the entryway. 'Dammit!' Sam   
admonished herself angrily. 'Don't you dare start getting all sick and girly on me!'   
She shut her eyes tightly and took slow shallow breaths in hopes of shaking the   
feeling of vertigo.  
  
"You ok Carter?" Jack asked trying not to sound as worried as he felt. He was   
beginning to doubt the wisdom in springing Sam from the Infirmary so early. He   
took a step towards her and placed a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"I'm fine Sir." Sam said not too convincingly as she took a deep breath. Thankfully   
the dizziness passed relatively quickly and Sam was able to get her bearings once   
again. She forced herself to smile as she turned to face Evan. "Let's take a look at a   
house, shall we?"  
  
Evan led the trio into the heart of the kitchen and began his spiel.  
  
"The house was built in 1946 right after World War II and was the standard pre-fab   
design of the times; two bedrooms, 1 ½ bathrooms, a living room, kitchen and a   
small den. It was very ordinary and kept that way until 1986.   
  
In 1986 an architect bought the slightly derelict house from the original owners and   
started knocking out walls right and left. This is the end result."  
  
Sam looked around the light-filled kitchen and knew this was the house for her. She   
felt slightly guilty knowing that if she succeeded in purchasing the home, the   
beautifully restored kitchen wouldn't get the use it was intended. She might not   
cook, but she still appreciated a nice kitchen. She loved how it was open and looked   
out onto the living room. There were built-in bookshelves, a fireplace and even a   
small garden.   
  
"Two bedrooms, right?" Sam asked.   
  
"Here, let me show you." Evan said leading Sam towards the back of the house.   
Jack and Daniel started to follow, but Sam held up a hand to stop them.  
  
"Guys?"  
  
"Carter, we promised Janet we wouldn't leave you alone." Jack said defensively.  
  
"I'm not alone!" Sam said in exasperation. She looked at Daniel for help.  
  
"Evan, could you give us a shout if Sam shows any signs of dizziness or anything like   
that?"   
  
"Sure."   
  
Jack still wasn't happy with the idea, but recognized that Sam needed to do this and   
acquiesced to her request for some privacy. He opened the sliding glass door near   
the kitchen to check out the backyard. It was slightly overgrown with wild flowers   
and weeds, but entirely fenced in and private.  
  
"Oooo, Carter could put in a hot tub back here!"   
  
"Somehow Jack, I don't see Sam as the lounging around the hot tub type." Daniel   
said with a smirk as he walked the perimeter of the small yard.   
  
"Probably right." Jack agreed trying not to actually visualize his 2IC sitting in a hot   
tub. He wasn't quite certain where these random 'Carter's a Girl' thoughts came   
from, but knew he needed to reel them in. He always recognized Sam for the   
brilliant woman she was, and knew she was an attractive woman (he wasn't blind!)   
but lately he was *noticing* that attractiveness. Definitely not something one is   
supposed to contemplate- especially given their working relationship.  
  
Jack shook his head and focused his attention onto the house. He had grabbed one   
of the realtor's flyers on the kitchen counter and was pleased to note that the roof   
was less than 3 years old. A good roof is very important when buying a house.  
  
"Guys!"   
  
Jack's blood ran cold as he heard Evan's shout from the master bedroom. Both he   
and Daniel sprinted the short distance to the bedroom where they found Sam sitting   
shakily on the edge of the bed. Evan stood nearby looking nearly as shaken.  
  
"What happened?" Jack asked in his best Commanding Officer voice. Daniel was   
already by Sam's side talking softly with his dazed friend. Sam seemed confused.  
  
"We were just talking when Sam began looking at me funny. Apparently her vision   
had blurred and she was getting dizzy. I had her sit down."  
  
"Good call." Jack said in a clipped voice.  
  
"Sir, next time we should bring the zats." Sam said distinctly. Both Jack and Daniel   
paled with Sam's announcement.   
  
"Military jargon." Daniel said thinking quickly.  
  
"Really Sir, you should make the case to General Hammond." Sam said with casual   
aplomb. "The next time we might not be able to get to Daniel quick enough."  
  
Jack looked at Sam's glazed eyes and knew they needed to get her out of here.   
*Now*.  
  
"Sam? Do you know where you are?" Daniel asked in dulcet tones kneeling by her   
side.   
  
"Briefing room." Sam said, staring straight ahead but not really seeing anything.  
  
"Carter, does this *look* like the briefing room?" Jack asked in an exasperated   
voice. He knew Sam wasn't really responsible for her little zat outburst and that he   
should be more understanding, but blurting out alien technology off base just wasn't   
cool. Daniel shot Jack a dirty look.  
  
"Sir?" Sam asked confused as she turned to look at her CO. "You're out of uniform."  
  
"Could say the same about you Major." Sam looked down at the cotton blue hospital   
pants and suddenly realized where she was. "Evan?" She asked looking up and   
searching for her ill at ease real estate agent.  
  
"You ok now Dr. Carter?" Evan asked nervously wondering what he had just   
witnessed.  
  
"Evan, thanks for showing us around, but I think we'll be leaving now." Jack said   
stepping closer towards Sam and nodding for Daniel to help her up.   
  
"Uh, all right." Evan said as he backed out of the room.   
  
Sam now knew exactly where she was and what she had almost done. What she   
*had* done; spoken about Goa'uld technology aloud in a non-secure location. Her   
cheeks burned with shame and she clenched her jaw tightly to prevent herself from   
crying. She could feel the pounding of her head increasing and wanted nothing more   
than to lie back down between cool, crisp sheets.  
  
The trio exited the bedroom and made their way down the hall towards the front   
door. Once again Sam began to feel light-headed and was dismayed to discover the   
room sliding jarringly to one side. She reached out blindly towards whatever   
happened to be on her right for balance. It happened to be Jack.  
  
"Whoa, Carter!" Jack said catching his 2IC as her knees buckled as she attempted to   
hold herself upright. Not only was she dizzy, but Sam couldn't remember when she   
had felt so damned tired.  
  
"Sir, I think we should head back." Sam said slightly slurred as she struggled to stay   
awake.  
  
"You read my mind Carter." Jack said placing an arm around her waist and half   
carried her towards the front door.   
  
"Evan, it's been real but.."  
  
"We really need to take Sam back to the hospital." Daniel finished. He had already   
fished the car keys out of his pocket and was jogging ahead to open the door.  
  
"Gentlemen," Evan said addressing the two worried men before him. Samantha was   
slumped heavily against Jack's side. "I know Dr. Carter isn't feeling well, but if she   
really is interested in this house, I need to know within the next 12 hours."  
  
"You have GOT to be kidding me." Jack said incredulously as Sam struggled to stand   
upright. Sam had heard Evan's announcement but couldn't quite muster the energy   
to converse.  
  
"I'm sorry." Evan said shaking his head. "But as a courtesy to Dr. Carter, I showed   
her the house this evening. I have reason to believe another couple will be putting   
in an offer first thing in the morning, but if we put in an offer first, we'll have first   
crack at the place."  
  
"We'll get back to you." Jack said as he led the now mostly unconscious Major to the   
car.  
  
"Please do it soon Sir." Evan said politely. The other offer wasn't from his clients, so   
he'd lose out on the commission if Sam decided not to go with this house. Evan   
regarded the ill woman and her two companions and realized she really wasn't in a   
position to make an offer at the moment. Still, he had to try.  
  
"Here's my card if Dr. Carter feels better and decides to make an offer." Daniel   
grudgingly accepted the card as he opened the rear car door to help Jack. Together   
the two worried SG-1 members positioned their now unconscious friend into the back   
seat.  
  
"Janet is not going to be happy." Daniel said as he softly closed the back door.  
  
"*I'm* not happy Daniel." Jack said as he got into the front seat and started the   
car.  
  
"I hope Dr. Carter feels better soon!" Evan yelled as Daniel got into the passenger   
seat.   
  
"We do too Evan. Thanks for showing Sam the house. It meant a great deal to her."   
Evan was about to say something more when the sedan peeled out of the parking   
space and shot off down the street.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A/N I promise to post the next chapter in a timelier manner! If you enjoyed this   
chapter, please let me know- it will encourage me to post quicker! 


	5. Speaking in Tongues

A/n- Wish I didn't have to start each of these chapters with an apology for taking so   
long to post. The good news is that I'm now on an Imbroglio roll (I hope you'll   
agree) and should feel motivated to write more soon. You *know* reviews help!  
  
Thanks to Kath and Lu for their help with the ending (and correcting my many   
typos). Hee hee. I'm afraid I'm back to my cliff hanging ways.  
  
As always these characters are not mine but I'd be more than happy to bid on them   
in an auction setting.   
  
Chapter 5  
  
"How's Carter?" Jack asked as he drove quickly down the deserted streets. He   
peered into his rearview mirror at Sam's still form.  
  
Daniel twisted his body around the seat and gingerly placed two fingers against   
Sam's pale neck.  
  
"Pulse is strong." Daniel said with a sigh of relief.  
  
"Yeah, but is she sleeping or unconscious Daniel?" Jack asked impatiently.  
  
"How the hell am I supposed to know Jack?"  
  
"Get back there and try and wake her up!" Jack hissed. If Sam was just sleeping,   
she should be able to be revived and they needn't call Janet. But if Sam was   
unconscious, then they probably should let Janet know. And maybe take a detour   
towards the nearest hospital.  
  
"Jack this car isn't exactly huge." Daniel said stating the obvious.  
  
"Daniel, you're the smallest male member of SG-1- get your ass back there!" Jack   
said pointing towards the back seat.  
  
"6 feet tall and the guy calls me small." Daniel muttered under his breath as he   
uncomfortably maneuvered his way towards the back seat. "Damn good thing I   
never met you when I was a scrawny, under-developed adolescent Jack." Daniel   
said as he awkwardly rearranged himself into the backseat. He carefully lifted Sam's   
head and placed it back down on his jean-clad thighs.   
  
"Would it make you feel any better if I still think you're scrawny and under-  
developed?" Jack called back as he watched Daniel's progress in the rear view   
mirror.   
  
"Earlier you called me good looking Jack." Daniel said in an exasperated voice.  
  
"In a scrawny, under-developed sort of way. Apparently girls like that." Jack said   
continuing the banter. The more he teased Daniel, the less opportunity he had to   
worry about Sam.  
  
"Sam?" Daniel said touching his hand lightly against her cheek. He was careful not   
to disturb the bandage already in place and was pleased to note that there didn't   
appear to be any red spots.  
  
"Five more minutes Dad." Sam mumbled as she shifted her weight to her right side   
and tried to adjust her 'pillow' by reaching one hand underneath Daniel's thigh and   
attempting to knead it into shape. Daniel yelped as Sam's hand came preciously   
close to a region of his body he really didn't think Sam should be near.  
  
"You ok back there Daniel?" Jack asked not having seen the entire 'pillow' incident.  
  
"Peachy." Daniel said using one of Jack's own expressions. "Sam's just sleeping   
Jack."  
  
"Can you wake her up?"  
  
Daniel looked at the slumbering Sam and exhaled audibly. "Yeah, I probably can.   
Sam's might going to be happy with that though.."  
  
"Who the hell cares if she's happy?" Jack growled from the front seat. "We're not   
supposed to let hersleep for more than 15 minutes at a time and we're pushing the   
limit here Daniel." Grudgingly Daniel agreed. Carefully he lifted Sam's upper body   
so that she was more or less sitting up. Daniel was hoping the movement itself   
would be enough to wake her. Unfortunately, it was not.  
  
"Sam?" Daniel said softly as his friend's head lolled heavily against his shoulder. He   
tried again slightly louder.   
  
Jack swore under his breath as he watched Daniel's feeble attempt at waking Sam   
up. It wasn't working.  
  
"Carter!" Jack yelled loudly while keeping his eyes more or less on the road. "Time   
to wake up!"  
  
"Geeze Jack, break an eardrum or something would ya." Daniel said wincing from   
the onslaught of Jack's voice.  
  
"Daniel, Carter needs to wake up in the next two minutes or we're driving straight to   
the hospital." Jack said completely serious. Military training prevented him from   
panicking, but he was very, very worried about his 2IC.  
  
Daniel caught a glimpse of Jack's pinched face from the rear view mirror and realized   
that this was indeed very serious. Usually he was on the receiving end of   
concussions and hadn't quite comprehended the magnitude of his friend's condition;   
he did now.  
  
"Sam, you need to wake up." Daniel said giving Sam's shoulder a strong shake.   
Sam gave a small moan and her eyelids flickered, but she didn't wake up.  
  
"Come on Sam!" Daniel said louder than normal. "Wake up!" Silently apologizing in   
advance, Daniel nudged Sam firmly in her injured ribs. Sam's eyes flew instantly   
open and she glared at Daniel through pain-filled eyes.  
  
"What the fuck was that for?" Sam snarled as she pulled away from Daniel's arms.  
  
"Sam?" Daniel asked completely confused. Sam Carter was not known for swearing.   
In fact, in the two plus years that Daniel had known Sam, she had never said   
anything stronger than "hell".  
  
"Mar'kan rak simbal tan!" Sam said in an angry voice as she eyed Daniel without   
recognition. Daniel stared at his friend with wide eyes. Did she just say what he   
thought she said?  
  
"Daniel?" Jack said conversationally from the front seat. "Did Sam just say what I   
think she said?"  
  
"Release me arrogant scum?" Daniel answered slightly confused. Since when did   
Jack speak Goa'uld?  
  
"Melant shur krik'sha tel!" Sam said backing herself as far from Daniel as was   
possible.   
  
"Daniel, please tell me Carter isn't speaking Goa'uld." Jack said eyeing his Second in   
the rear view mirror in complete dismay.  
  
"I'd love to be able to tell you that Jack, but.." Daniel began helplessly.  
  
"Ah Damn."   
  
"You can say that again." Daniel mumbled holding out his hands in what he hoped   
Sam still understood as 'I come in Peace'.  
  
"Mar'kan rak!" Sam said daring Daniel to come closer.  
  
"Sorry Sam, I can't do that." Daniel said in dulcet tones.  
  
"What does she want?" Jack asked as he increased his speed. They were less than   
10 miles out.  
  
"To be released." Daniel said continuing to maintain eye contact with the obviously   
very frightened Sam Carter. If it actually WAS Sam Carter he was talking with.   
Suddenly Daniel felt very cold.  
  
"Nam'ra tel Jolinar me'Malkshur?" Daniel asked in what he hoped was a friendly   
sounding voice. Finesse in intonation wasn't a known Goa'uld quality. Everyone   
usually just barked at one another.  
  
Sam's eyes grew wide in horror as she lashed out wildly at Daniel.  
  
"Mar'kan rak!" She screamed as she wrapped both of her hands around Daniel's   
neck and applied pressure to his adam's apple. Instantly Daniel's eyes began to   
water as he struggled to breathe. His vision was suddenly filled with bright spots of   
light.  
  
"Jesus Daniel!" Jack shouted from the front seat. "Get her off you!"  
  
Had Daniel been able, he would have rolled his eyes at Jack in disgust. Instead he   
kicked out blindly and his bent leg connected with something solid. Suddenly he was   
able to breathe again. Through heaving breaths he saw Sam doubled over clutching   
her middle.  
  
"Shit. Jack, I think I re-injured her ribs." Daniel said rubbing his own bruised neck.  
  
"Daniel, she was trying to kill you for crying out loud!" Jack yelled in frustration.   
Only 5 more miles... "What the hell is going on?"  
  
"Sam thinks she's Jolinar."   
  
"Jolinar is dead Daniel."  
  
"I know that Jack" Daniel said in frustration keeping a wary eye on Sam's still bent-  
over form. "But Sam doesn't seem to think so."  
  
Jack suddenly hit his hand against the steering wheel. "She hit the left side of her   
head!"  
  
"So?" Daniel asked not fully understanding.  
  
"So," Jack began as if speaking with a small child. "Your ability to process language   
is located in the left side of your brain."  
  
Daniel blinked and stared at Jack's uneasy eyes in the rear view mirror; he was   
right. "How did you know that Jack?"  
  
"I'm not as dumb as I appear, ok Daniel?" Jack said exasperated. "Carter's lost the   
ability to speak English at the moment so I'm guessing she's grabbing the first   
language she 'remembers' and that happens to be Goa'uld."  
  
"But Jack, Sam isn't just speaking Goa'uld, I think she honestly believes she's   
Jolinar."  
  
"Well convince her she's not!" Jack said tearing his eyes off of his friends in the back   
seat and back to the road. He allowed his right foot to apply even more pressure to   
the gas pedal. This had been a very bad idea.  
  
"M'tak tur Jolinar." Daniel said keeping as much distance as was possible. "M'tak   
Major Samantha Carter."  
  
"Sla'k ral!" Sam/Jolinar screamed.   
  
"Tu'ral!" Daniel shouted back at her. Wildly he looked around for something to   
convince Sam he was *not* lying. He caught sight of Sam's purse on the floor and   
keeping his eyes firmly on Sam's, reached down and snatched it. Slowly he opened   
it up and while maintaining eye contact with Sam, reached a hand in and felt around.  
  
"Sam, I hope to God you keep a compact in here." Daniel muttered as his hand   
wrapped around something round, flat and smooth. "Yes!" He said triumphantly as   
he pulled out a foundation compact. He opened it up and offered the mirrored   
surface to Sam.  
  
Sam/Jolinar grabbed the compact and stared at the image before her. This was not   
Rosha's body. What was going on here? She forced her eyes away from the mirror   
and stared at Daniel in complete confusion.  
  
"Mek'lan bak shev kel?!" Sam/Jolinar demanded.  
  
"It's rather a long story.." Daniel began.  
  
"Daniel, she doesn't understand English!" Jack said loudly from the front seat.  
  
"Right. Goa'uld." Daniel said exhaling loudly. He took another breath and met   
Sam's confused eyes with calm.  
  
"Kree shal men'tak peltac ka." Daniel said pointing to his head. Ok, so he told her   
she had an accident and hurt her head.  
  
"M'tak tur Jolinar ne rak Samantha Carter." //You're not Jolinar Sam, you're you.//   
To prove his point, Daniel reached again into Sam's purse and pulled out Sam's   
wallet. He opened it up and took out her driver's license.  
  
"M'tak tur Samantha Carter." Daniel insisted thrusting the photo I.D. into Sam's   
hands. She stared at the photo and then again at her reflection in the little compact.   
Carefully she reached up and touched the bandages near her temple and frowned, as   
she could not recall how she sustained the injury. Could this man be telling the   
truth?   
  
Sam/Jolinar shook her head and threw both the ID and compact to the ground as   
she again tried to back away. She suddenly found herself claustrophobic in the small   
moving vehicle and began clawing at the windows in an attempt to get out. The man   
was lying to her! Drugs must have been used; she needed to escape. Daniel tried   
to grab hold of Sam's hands but she was too quick and nimbly climbed over Daniel   
and into the other passenger seat. She grabbed the discarded purse in the hopes of   
finding a weapon.  
  
Jack guardedly watched as Daniel tried to reason with Sam. Unfortunately Sam   
Carter was out for the moment and there just didn't seem to be anyplace to leave a   
message. Jack shook his head in frustration and was thankful they were almost to   
the base. He allowed himself to relax momentarily.  
  
Naturally that was the moment the sirens started.  
  
"Ah man.." Jack began as he watched the red and blue lights move closer. He heard   
a faint 'oof' sound from the backseat and glanced into the mirror to see what was   
going on. Sam seemed to have quieted down and sat hunched in a corner clutching   
her purse tightly against her chest.   
  
"Danny we have a problem." Jack said shaking his head as he eased up on the gas   
and began to pull over. He thought about just gunning it, after all they couldn't be   
more than 3 miles from the base, but knew that would probably cause more   
problems than it was worth. Sighing heavily Jack pulled off the road.  
  
"You could say that Jack." Daniel said faintly from the backseat.  
  
"Just stay cool Daniel, and let me do the talking." Jack said as he reached into the   
glove compartment to get the registration papers.  
  
Daniel gave a slightly hysterical laugh from the backseat. "That could soon become   
a problem Jack."   
  
"What are you *talking* about Daniel?" Jack said twisting his body around to take a   
look at Daniel and Sam.  
  
"Oh my god!" Jack said staring incomprehensively at his friend. Daniel sat limply   
against the side of the door holding a hand protectively against his side. A not so   
small amount of blood was visible above his waistband.   
  
"She stabbed me Jack."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
~*Manic Grade B movie laughter*~ Have I got your attention now?  
  
I actually followed some language guidelines as I mangled my way through Goa'uld.   
Yes, I know that 'peltac' is the control center or something similar on a spaceship.   
BUT I reasoned it is considered the "brain" of the aircraft and took a little creative   
licensing (it's a made up language for crying out loud!) in using it in this story as   
well.  
  
I actually followed some language guidelines as I mangled my way through Goa'uld.   
Yes, I know that 'peltac' is the control center or something similar on a spaceship.   
BUT I reasoned it is considered the "brain" of the aircraft and took a little creative   
licensing (it's a made up language for crying out loud!) in using it in this story as   
well.  
  
PS- If you haven't already done so, please take a few minutes and go to   
www.sg1-awards.com and nominate your favorite SG-1 stories. (Imbroglio is   
incomplete and thus ineligible so this isn't a blatant plug on my behalf!) There are a   
lot of really talented writers out there and this is a way to show your appreciation for   
the hard work they've done over the past year. 


	6. Officer, it's not what you think

A/N: Jack's thoughts are in //these// and the weird bit that might not make much   
sense? It's explained at the end. Look for the asterisk. It might have taken me   
awhile to update, but at least it's a decent length!   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Imbroglio  
Chapter 6  
  
Jack blinked as he took in the implausible scene before him.   
  
Step one: Assessment. "Danny, do *not* shit me here, ok?" Jack said eyeing the   
growing crimson stain saturating Daniel's black t-shirt. "Are you on death's door, or   
do I have a few minutes?"   
  
"I'll be fine Jack." Daniel said applying further pressure on the messy hole beneath   
his ribs and panting slightly through the pain. He eyed Jack through half-closed   
eyes; clearly, Jack didn't believe him. Daniel shook his head in frustration. "Jack,   
I'm serious." He said trying to ignore the warm stickiness beneath his hands. "It   
hurts a bit but I'll be fine."   
  
Jack's hard eyes continued to stare calculatedly at the inert scientist; Daniel rolled   
his eyes. "God Jack, you are so stubborn! It hurts like a mother, ok? But I honestly   
don't think it's fatal- so would you just get on to saving our asses?" Yelling at Jack   
didn't help the pain, but it did seem to do the trick.  
  
Satisfied, Jack moved his eyes onto the second person in the backseat; Major   
Samantha Carter, or Jolinar as she preferred to be called at the moment. She stood   
crouched on her feet glaring hard at both Daniel and Jack, a bloody nail file held   
tightly in her clenched fingers. Jack grimaced.   
  
Step two: Take control of the situation. Before Sam could even comprehend what   
was happening, Jack reached out and snatched the nail file from her. He tossed the   
offensive object into the front seat and quickly positioned himself between Sam and   
the injured Daniel. Surprisingly Jack wedged himself into the backseat with very   
little fuss. When one didn't need to worry about hitting the driver in the head, it   
really was quite simple. A bit cramped perhaps, but simple.  
  
Jack was very much aware that at any moment the cop would probably come   
knocking on the window. He needed to wrap things up. Quickly. Placing both hands   
firmly on her shoulders, Jack forced Sam into a more conventional seated position   
and quickly covered her legs with one knee.   
  
"Stabbing Daniel was *not* a nice thing to do!" Jack hissed as he stared into the   
wild unrecognizable eyes of his 2IC. The woman struggled beneath him, but was no   
match for a pissed off and much larger Jack O'Neill.  
  
"So here's what I am going to do JOLINAR." Jack saw a flinty flash of recognition as   
he said her name. "I'm going to move Daniel here to the front seat and you are   
going to stay quiet as a mouse here in the back seat like a good little Tok'ra." Again   
he saw a semblance of understanding. He nodded briefly and started to let up on   
the pressure of his knee. Instantly Sam attempted to squirm free. Jack again   
applied pressure, harder this time and leaned forward to whisper something into her   
ear.  
  
"Mek'sur rak, shel nak tor." He said clearly and without emotion into her left ear. He   
leaned back and saw the complete comprehension and masked fear on her face.  
  
"Good!" He said as he patted her on both shoulders and withdrew the pressure   
slowly across her legs. Sam stayed perfectly still. Satisfied, Jack lifted his knee   
from her body and turned to take care of Daniel.  
  
Now it was Daniel's turn to stare incomprehensively at Jack.   
  
There was no way. There was just no way Jack had said what Daniel though he had   
heard.  
  
"Jack do you have any idea of what you just said?" Daniel said as he gritted his   
teeth against the pain. Jack had awkwardly pulled the lever that allowed the front   
driver's seat to collapse and was attempting to manhandle Daniel into the front seat.  
  
"Yep." Jack said with a grunt doing all the work himself. Daniel wasn't much help at   
the moment.  
  
"But...but.. how? Why?" Daniel said closing his eyes and clenching his teeth tightly   
against the pain. The wound itself might be slightly above superficial, but it still   
hurt. A lot.  
  
"Teal'c taught me a few choice phrases that he thought might come in handy down   
the road." Jack said simply as he carefully set Daniel's butt down in the front seat   
and being ever mindful of the stomach injury, cautiously moved his legs over to join   
his body.  
  
"*Teal'c* thought it would be good to teach you 'Move again and I will kill you' in   
Goa'uld?!"  
  
"The exact phrasing might have been my idea." Jack admitted as he quickly folded   
himself back into the driver's seat. He glanced over and was not pleased to see how   
completely white Daniel had become. Shock. Damn.  
  
The bottom of Daniel's t-shirt was obviously completely soaked in blood- Jack   
needed to get him something more to stem the flow. He glanced down at his single   
black t-shirt, leather jacket and jeans and quickly surmised that it would probably be   
best if he remained dressed when approached by Colorado Springs' finest. A quick   
glance at the backseat nicked the idea of getting something from Sam. She had on   
a lightweight sweater thingy and Jack had no idea if there was anything underneath   
it. Having a pissed off Tok'ra mad at him was one thing, having a partially naked   
pissed off Tok'ra who happened to be his 2IC just wasn't a good idea. Which left   
Daniel.   
  
Daniel sat quietly in the front seat, obvious pain etched across his face. He wore the   
ubiquitous SGC black t-shirt as a base layer but had thrown on a thick button down   
flannel shirt over it.  
  
"Can you sit up a little Daniel?" Jack asked quietly as he reached into his back   
pocket for his ever-present Swiss army knife. He might be able (and required to)   
leave his P90 on base, but he *never* went anywhere without that knife.  
  
"Uh sure." Daniel said attempting to comply without opening his eyes.   
Unfortunately it is very difficult to move one's torso without utilizing the stomach   
muscles. Daniel moved only a few scant inches before overwhelming pain forced   
him to fall back heavily against the seat. Tears glistened on the edges of his eyes   
and Daniel wondered if perhaps passing out might be a good option.  
  
"Here Danny, let me help." Jack said hating to see his friend hurting so much. He   
carefully lifted the Archaeologist forward a half a foot or so and baring Daniel's   
weight with his left hand, quickly sliced through the length of the shirt and pulled it   
away from Daniel's body. Jack removed the material over Daniel's shoulder and   
pulled 1/2 the flannel shirt completely away. Hastily he bunched it together and after   
moving Daniel's hands away, pressed it firmly against the jagged wound. Daniel   
moaned loudly as his body arched upwards in an attempt to escape from the   
offending pressure.  
  
"Sorry Daniel!" Jack said hating the fact that he was causing his friend so much   
pain. At least in the field they usually had vials of morphine to help. Jack replaced   
his hands with Daniel's own and laid a calming hand against Daniel's forehead. It   
hadn't even been five minutes and already Daniel felt warm. Jack made a note to   
talk to Carter about the cleanliness of her nail files.   
  
"Daniel, I need you to put on an Oscar worthy performance here." Jack said as he   
caught sight of the police officer finally making his way towards the car. What could   
possibly have taken him so long to check a license plate was beyond him, but for   
once Jack was very, very grateful for the delay. He quickly looked around the car   
and was glad (and more than a little surprised) to see that very little of Daniel's   
blood was apparent on the dark vinyl seats. //This really might work.// Jack thought   
to himself.  
  
As Jack began to roll down his window he suddenly caught sight of his hands- his still   
damp, red-streaked hands. Jack let out a short mirthless laugh. "Or maybe not."   
Covered in Daniel's blood, there was no way the officer wouldn't notice. Jack let out   
a small frustrated sigh. //On to Plan B.//  
  
"License and reg.." The officer began on autopilot before spying Jack's blood-  
encrusted hangs. "Holy shit!" Instantly the police officer reached for his weapon.   
  
"Hands up where I can see them and step out of the car!" The officer shouted at   
Jack as he peered into the window. Eyeing an unmoving man in the front seat, and   
a pissed off looking woman in the back seat, Jim, the rookie police officer, cursed the   
budget cuts that prevented him from having a partner. It wasn't every day you pull   
a guy over for speeding and stumble upon a possible homicide. Jim's mind was   
racing as he tried to remember everything that was taught to him at the academy.  
  
"It isn't what you think Officer." Jack said calmly as he slowly stepped out of the   
car. The police officer couldn't be older than 25 and looked like he just might shoot   
if Jack made any sudden moves. Jack wouldn't lay money on him shooting straight   
either.   
  
"You have the right to remain silent..."   
  
"I waive my rights." Jack said impatiently as he made a small motion with his   
upraised hands. He really didn't need this right now; both Sam and Daniel needed   
help.  
  
"Keep your hands still!" Jim shouted waiving his gun unsteadily at Jack. //Great.   
This is just perfect! If I don't watch it, *I'm* going to wind up as messed up as   
Carter and Daniel!//  
  
"Look Officer," Jack began as he slowly turned around to face the obviously   
distraught young man. "I am going to slowly reach into my jacket and pull out my   
ID, ok?"  
  
"Hands where I can see them!" Officer Jim shouted again. Why wasn't the guy   
listening to him?!  
  
"My name is Jack O'Neill. *Colonel* Jack O'Neill and I work out of Cheyenne   
Mountain just a few miles down the road." As Jack was saying this he continued to   
reach into his jacket and was able to pull out his wallet. He held it out to the Officer.  
  
"The guy in the front seat is Dr. Daniel Jackson, a linguist and good friend who works   
with me on base. And the woman in the back seat is Major Samantha Carter my   
2IC."  
  
"He's telling the truth." A faint voice said from within the car. With an audible moan   
a billfold came sailing through the open window. "My ID." Although the nail file   
hadn't penetrated any vital organs, the wound was still rather deep.  
  
"Sir, are you all right?" Jim said taking a step closer to the car and momentarily   
taking his eyes off of Jack. Jack refrained from rolling his eyes; he could *so* take   
this guy out.  
  
"Officer, do I *look* all right to you?" Daniel gasped peevishly struggling to stay   
conscious. Jack's sarcasm was definitely contagious.  
  
"No Sir, you most definitely don't." Jim said as he bent down to pick up Daniel's   
wallet.   
  
//Oh for crying out loud, can we just get ON with it?!// Jack thought to himself.  
  
"Look Officer," Jack glanced down at the man's name badge, "Simpson." A small   
smile threatened to escape Jack's lips but he managed to hold it back. "I won't   
move a muscle, but would ya please just look at Daniel's ID, then look at mine and   
then let us be on our way? As you can see, my friend in there needs some help."   
Without waiting to hear Officer Jim Simpson's response, Jack threw his wallet at the   
stunned officer who caught it by reflex.  
  
"You promise not to move?" Jim asked in a mostly steady voice as he continued to   
point his weapon at the Colonel.  
  
"Scouts honor." Jack was getting impatient and was wondering just what   
Sam/Jolinar was thinking of this whole exchange. With a hell of a lot of luck, his   
whispered threat would keep her ass pinned to the backseat until they got back to   
the SGC.   
  
Jim opened Daniel's wallet first and took out first his license and then an obvious   
military looking ID card. There, imprinted on the card, were the words, 'Dr. Daniel   
Jackson' and a picture of a shaggy-haired geeky looking guy in an outdated tweed   
jacket. Underneath his name and picture were a bunch of letters and numbers:   
USAF-CIV, SGC-SG1, 0-. Security Level: C. Jim turned the card over and read   
scrawled in permanent marker, 'If owner is found dead or unconscious, please return   
to Col. Jack O'Neill."   
  
Jim shook his head confused as he stuffed the card back and opened the second   
wallet. Jack's wallet contained his official USAF ID card as well as the SGC issued ID.   
There were a lot more numbers and letters on Jack's ID card. A very serious looking   
photo of Jack appeared on his SGC card along with the words 'Colonel Jack O'Neill'.   
Under his name and photo were more letter/number combinations. USAF, SGC-21C,   
SG1-COM, O+, Security Level: A. Curiosity made him turn the card over. 'I love   
Thor.' Jim crinkled his eyebrows as he read that. What kind of people were these   
guys?  
  
Jack recognized the look of confusion and realized what Officer Simpson //No smiling   
Jack.// must be reading. Jack had known even as he wrote the little 'lost' message   
on Daniel's ID card that it probably wasn't the best of ideas. But Daniel had just   
turned up from the dead (again!) and Jack couldn't help himself. Now Daniel on the   
other hand... Daniel hadn't even been drunk when he had written that little ditty on   
the back of Jack's card. Jack actually had gotten a new ID a few weeks thereafter   
but kept that Sharpee-penned version as a memento. A memento he really   
shouldn't haul around in his wallet... Jack shook his head and wished Officer   
Simpson //NO smiling Jack.// would get on with it.  
  
Just as Jim had made up his mind to let the Colonel and his wounded friend go, (he   
planned on following them) the sudden sound of a car door opening caught his   
attention.  
  
Jack heard it too and turned his head just in time to see the back door open and one   
Major Samantha Carter, aka Jolinar, stumble out.  
  
"Ah crap." Jack muttered as instinct took control and he flung himself across the   
hood of the car and attempted to stop Carter before she could get too far.   
  
"What the HELL do you think you're doing?!" Jim yelled as he took in the sight of the   
nimble Colonel sliding across the top of a car like he was **Bo or Luke Duke.  
  
Jack ignored him and concentrated on Sam. If she bolted, he would have to go after   
her and there was a fairly good chance one of them might get shot. Not really an   
ideal situation.  
  
"Did you forget what I said?" Jack said in dangerously low tones as he faced the   
weary woman. Although Sam might not be driving at the moment, Jolinar obviously   
understood, her eyes grew wide and she clenched her fists tightly together. She   
swayed slightly on her feet and her face contorted in a mask of anger and pain.  
  
"Sholv'ak tel!"  
  
"Not nice." Daniel whispered weakly from the open car window. "She's not happy   
with you Jack."  
  
"Tell me something I don't know Daniel." Jack retorted as he took another step   
closer.  
  
"I think I'm going to pass out." Daniel said in a whisper as his entire body went   
slack and he sank into unconsciousness.  
  
"God dammit! This isn't my day!!" Jack groused as he closed the gap between he   
and Carter and gripped Sam's elbow tightly. It was time to end this.  
  
"Sir, you need to stop this immediately!" Jim shouted as he contemplated if it was   
better to stay where he was and keep an eye on the crazy Air Force officer, or if he   
should head back to his rig and call for backup.  
  
"You're right. It is." Jack knew he needed to get both Sam and Daniel medical   
attention, but also knew he wouldn't get too far if he had to fight Carter the entire   
way. Hell, Officer Simpson just might do something rash if he thought Jack was   
roughing up a woman. Gritting his teeth in frustration, Jack made up his mind. He   
just couldn't risk Carter babbling in an Alien language or have her unwittingly dish   
out top-secret Stargate information; he needed Sam quiet. And although Janet   
might skin him alive later, Jack knew what needed to be done. He leaned back on   
his left leg with every intention of throwing a right hook into the side of his 2IC's   
head. He knew how to throw a punch and planned to hit Sam on the right side of   
her skull and not the left; that wouldn't be too bad, right? //You keep telling   
yourself that Jack.//  
  
But just as he reached back to build momentum for his punch, Sam began to sway.   
Jack barely had time to catch her before she slumped bonelessly to the ground   
deeply unconscious.  
  
"Tor, buddy. This would be a great time to pop on by for a visit." Jack mumbled as   
he carefully picked Sam up and positioned her into the backseat of the car. Behind   
him he could hear the officer cursing.  
  
"What the hell did you do to her?!" Jim shouted questioning his decision to keep his   
gun pointed at the crazy Colonel; he should have gone for the radio.  
  
Shutting the back door, Jack reached through the passenger window and placed two   
fingers against Daniel's neck. He breathed a small sigh of relief; Daniel was doing   
just fine. Well maybe not *fine* fine, but he would live. He squinted at the irate   
Officer and walked around towards the driver's door.  
  
"Jim," Jack paused. "Can I call you Jim?" Receiving only flabbergasted silence, Jack   
continued. "My friends are obviously ill and I am going to take them to where they'll   
get the help they need. You know as well as I do that this road only leads to   
Cheyenne Mountain, so you are welcome to follow me, but I'm going to be leaving   
now." Calmly Jack got into his car and turned on the ignition.   
  
Through his rolled down window Jack called out to the still stunned Officer. "I really   
am a good guy Jim. Go ahead and send me that speeding ticket, I'm sure I was   
going at least 50."  
  
With that Colonel Jack O'Neill pulled out from the shoulder of the road and headed   
(at a sedate 35 mph) towards the SGC. Absently rubbing his temple at the growing   
tension headache, Jack wryly thought of the ways Dr. Janet Fraiser would get him   
back. An innocent house viewing, and what happens? Jack checks out one patient   
from the infirmary and returns with two.   
  
It was not his day.  
A/n- It might have taken me a few weeks, but at least it's decent length, yes?   
Things get a little twisted in the next chapter. G Let me know if you're still   
enjoying. You *know* feedback makes me write faster!  
  
**The Duke brothers. Bo and Luke. From the Dukes of Hazzard, another really   
hideous television show from America in the 70's. It was brilliant. 


	7. Back at the SGC

Serious thank you to Mz. Lizzy for style improvements and suggestions. And as  
always to Kath my beta goddess in the sky.  
  
Chapter 7  
  
Jack estimated that he'd be at the Mountain entrance in less than three minutes.   
With one hand on the wheel, he reached into his jacket and pulled out a cell phone.   
He'd probably arrive before the medical team could, but it was time to at least give   
them a heads up as to what was coming their way. Glancing from an unconscious   
Daniel to an unconscious Carter, Jack quickly punched *3 on his cell phone and   
waited while the circuits routed his call to SGC Medical. He shook his head   
wondering how he'd turned into a guy who had the infirmary programmed into his   
cell phone speed dial. It made perfect sense for him to have both Daniel's office and   
apartment number on speed dial. And he often called Carter's office *looking* for   
Daniel, so that made sense as well. But what sort of man had an infirmary, a   
doctor's personal cell phone AND her home number all programmed higher on the   
list than the guy who ran the base? Jack gave a quiet snort as he waited for his call   
to connect.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Nurse Wyatt picked up the ringing phone, thankful for the interruption. Entering   
chart information into the SGC medical database was necessary, but a bit boring.   
"Infirmary."  
  
"This is Colonel O'Neill, get me Dr. Fraiser *now*." The voice left no room for   
questions.  
  
"One moment Sir." Quickly she scanned the Infirmary for Dr. Fraiser while   
wondering which member of SG-1 was injured this time. Hitting the hold button on   
the phone she walked hurriedly across the bay rather than yell across the line of   
beds.  
  
"Dr. Frasier, Colonel O'Neill is on line 2." She knew she didn't need to say it was   
urgent, that was a given with the SGC and especially with Colonel O'Neill; the 2IC of   
the base never called the infirmary just to 'chat'.  
  
"I knew I shouldn't have released her!" Dr. Fraiser said under her breath as she set   
down the charts and grabbed the nearest phone.   
  
The way she punched the blinking line 2 button made Nurse Wyatt glad that she   
wasn't the source of the irritation. Message delivered, she went back to her data   
entry task, figuring she should at least be able to save it and shut it down before   
whatever emergency the Colonel was calling about landed in their laps.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Colonel, what's going on?"   
  
"No time for details Janet," Jack said glancing in the rear view mirror at the still   
unconscious Carter. Behind her Jack could see the telltale red and blue lights of the   
police car. Thankfully he didn't have his siren on. "Let's just say I need two   
gurneys topside. ETA two minutes."  
  
"*Two* gurneys Colonel?" Jack could hear the disbelief in Janet's voice.   
  
Jack let out a heavy sigh. "Yeah, two. Look Janet, we'll be there in another minute   
or so, could you just head up?"   
  
"Gurneys or crash carts Colonel?"   
  
"How the hell should I know Doc?!" Jack asked in frustration. "Carter passed out   
after pulling a Jekyll/Hyde act on us, and Daniel's been stabbed in the gut with a nail   
file!"   
  
"A Nail file?!" Clearly Janet wasn't pleased with that little nugget of information.   
"We're on our way Colonel."   
  
Jack let loose a breath he didn't know he had been holding. Janet and her team   
would be ready for them.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Jack felt the tension slowly ebb away as he spotted the first security checkpoint   
ahead. Cursing the need to show photo ID when everyone knew who he was, Jack   
awkwardly reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet.  
  
"Medical emergency Airman." Jack said briskly as he flashed his SGC identity card.  
  
"Understood Sir." The young private said as he motioned for the barricades to be   
opened.  
  
"You had better let the cop car behind me through as well." Jack said grudgingly as   
he waited for the yellow and black arm to be lifted and the security fence to fully   
open.  
  
"And call Hammond. Have him send up Makepeace or someone with a rank higher   
than a Captain to calm this guy down." Jack made a hand motion to indicate the   
police car behind him.  
  
"Understood Sir." Private Wallace said giving the Colonel a crisp salute. He   
recognized Colonel O'Neill from orientation but did not know either of his two   
passengers. Members of his team perhaps? Neither were dressed in military apparel,   
but then again, neither was the Colonel. The man in the front seat was obviously   
wounded and the woman in the back appeared to have a head injury of some kind.   
Wallace privately wondered if he would ever get the full story on what went on inside   
the mountain or if he'd be left in the dark just like last time.   
  
Jack was happy to see the remaining two check points already cleared for him and   
was waved straight through towards the covered parking garage. He was rather   
surprised (and pleased) to see Janet already there. //How the hell did she do   
that?!//   
  
Jack parked the car and quickly hopped out as the nurses and orderlies surrounded   
the car. "Daniel has a small penetrating stab wound on his lower right side. I don't   
think she hit anything vital, but he's lost a lot of blood." Jack didn't fail to notice   
how Janet looked up sharply as he said the word 'she'.  
  
Daniel moaned softly as he was moved from the car onto a gurney. Opening his   
eyes slightly, he took in the absence of motion and the white uniforms of the medical   
staff. "Back at SGC?"   
  
Jack nodded. "They'll have you patched up in no time Danny." Jack said giving his   
friend's hand a small squeeze.  
  
"Next time Jack, I drive." Daniel said wincing a little as he felt a needle puncture the   
skin on his right arm.  
  
"Promise." Jack said with a small smile as he watched his friend succumb to the   
soporific effects of morphine. Behind him, Jack could see Officer Simpson pointing   
frantically at Jack as he tried to explain what happened to Major Davis. Jack made a   
mental note to apologize (and thank) both General Hammond and Davis later.  
  
"Hang a unit of O neg on Daniel and send him down to surgery!" Janet ordered as   
she quickly assessed that Daniel would be just fine. Well maybe not *fine* fine, but   
he'd live. Although at this rate, he was going to have as many scars as Colonel   
O'Neill if he didn't watch out.  
  
The nurses were just beginning to ease Sam out of the backseat when she began to   
stir.  
  
"Give her some space!" Jack ordered as he closed the gap between himself and the   
car. So far Carter/Jolinar had only dealt with Jack and Daniel, and Jack wanted to   
keep it that way. Having a freaked out Tok'ra was bad enough without bringing the   
SGC rumor mill in on the fun. Although there was probably little he could do to quell   
that particular demon.  
  
"Kree rak." Jack said softly but firmly as he wrapped his hand around Carter's arm   
as she struggled to stand up on her own.   
  
"Sir?" Sam asked completely baffled as to why her commanding officer just ordered   
her not to move in Goa'uld. Come to think of it, when did Colonel O'Neill learn to   
speak Goa'uld?  
  
"Carter?" Jack asked utterly confused as he let go of her arm. "That you in there?"   
His eyes darted towards her head.  
  
"Sir?" Sam answered bewildered, still not catching his meaning.  
  
"I'll tell you later Major, first why don't we get you back to the infirmary." Sam   
nodded and took a shaky step forward.   
  
"Sorry Sam, I need you on the gurney." Janet said firmly, stepping forward to   
prevent her friend from taking any additional steps.  
  
"Janet, I'm fine." Sam said in a resigned voice as she grudgingly accepted   
assistance onto the gurney.  
  
"No Sam, you're not." Janet said barely containing her anger as she contemplated   
whether or not she should use the restraints. She hadn't missed the Colonel's   
reference to Jekyll and Hyde and had already figured out that it was Sam who must   
have stabbed Daniel. Still undecided, Janet glanced discreetly at Jack who slowly but   
firmly shook his head. No restraints. He continued to glare at Janet until she sighed   
and held up her hands in defeat.   
  
"Let's get her downstairs!"   
  
Not comfortable lying motionless on the gurney, Sam looked around the parking   
garage as she was wheeled towards the elevator.  
  
"Where's Daniel?" Sam asked directing her question at Jack.   
  
//Oooookay. Guess she doesn't remember that part// "Daniel's already in the   
mountain." Jack asked hoping she'd accept the answer at face value. Naturally she   
didn't.  
  
"How come I don't remember him leaving?" Sam asked as she closed her eyes in   
concentration. "Actually Sir, I don't remember the ride back here." She gave Jack   
such a look of confusion and trust that Jack struggled to think of what he could   
possibly say to make her feel better.  
  
"That's ok Carter." Jack said completely whimping out as he followed the gurney,   
two nurses and Dr. Fraiser into the elevator. The sooner they got her back to the   
infirmary the better. "You didn't miss much." Inwardly Jack winced; that was the   
first time he had really lied to Sam before.  
  
Sam let out a small moan as the pain hit her suddenly. She tilted her head to one   
side and clenched her hands tightly into fists; that damn headache was back. "You   
all right Sam?" Janet asked in full medical mode pushing Jack out of the way and   
reaching for her penlight.  
  
"Headache." Sam answered tersely gritting her teeth against the pain and willing   
her body to relax on the uncomfortable gurney. The headache was increasing in   
magnitude by the moment.  
  
"Open houses give me headaches too." Jack said inanely from the back of the   
elevator as he tried to distract Sam from her obviously painful head. //We're almost   
there Carter. Just hang on.//  
  
"The house!" Sam cried as she writhed on the bed in pain, holding her head   
between her hands. Jack was at her side instantly not knowing what to do but   
needing to be by her side. This was all his fault. He searched Janet's face plaintively   
for help.   
  
"It's ok Sam, we've got you." Janet said soothingly as she tried to pry Sam's hands   
away from her head.  
  
"God, Janet, make it stop!" Sam cried curling her body into a fetal position and   
continuing to protect her head.  
  
"Give me 20cc's of dopamine and have an Imitrex drip standing by!" Janet shouted   
as the doors opened on Level 21. One of the nurses ran ahead to get the migraine   
medication IV started.   
  
"The pain will go away in a second Sam." Janet said soothingly as she efficiently   
inserted a needle into Sam's arm. Almost instantly the pain began to ebb and Sam   
relaxed her body. The gurney was quickly wheeled into the infirmary where Daniel   
was already stripped of his shirt and pants and being prepped for surgery. Jack   
winced as he saw the jagged, crimson tear in Daniel's abdomen. There were a lot of   
bloody pieces of gauze littering the floor.   
  
"He'll be fine Sir." Doctor Warner said glancing up at Jack. "10-12 stitches max.   
The only reason he's going into surgery at all is because it's a belly wound and those   
tend to get messy. Actually Sir, it's too bad Daniel doesn't need his appendix   
removed, we could have done a 2 for 1!"  
  
"Ha-ha." Jack said humorlessly as he watched Daniel be wheeled out of the room.   
This was entirely his fault. He never should have taken Carter out of here.  
  
"Ssssir?" Sam slurred interrupting Jack's dark mood.  
  
"Yeah Carter?" Jack said coming to her side. Sam had been moved from the gurney   
to a bed and was now trying (unsuccessfully) to shoo away the nurses attempting to   
attach wires of some sort to the sides of her head. EEG? Jack looked away as her   
shirt was pulled down and several tabs connected to wires were attached to her   
chest. Additional tabs were placed on both ankles and on her shoulders. Whoa!   
Cardiac monitor. Jack thought that seemed a little over the top, usually the docs   
were content with finger monitors.  
  
"Go wwway!" Sam said ineffectively as she tried to move away from the nurses   
attempting to do their jobs.  
  
"They're just trying to help Carter." Jack said trying not to stare at the mass of   
wires coming out of her shirt. Why did Fraiser think Sam needed a full-strength   
cardiac monitor?   
  
"Wannnt house." Sam said groggily as the drugs began sapping her consciousness   
along with her pain.  
  
"We can worry about that later Carter." Jack said worriedly. Where the hell was   
Janet anyhow?  
  
"No!" Sam said angrily forcing her eyes open. " I 'eard Evan! He said I must make   
decision today. Want house Sir." Sam said reaching out to him as her eyes began   
to droop downwards. "Want house." She whispered.  
  
"Ok, ok. Just calm down Carter." Jack said taking her hand and looking around the   
room for Janet.   
  
"Promise me Colonel." Sam said through closed eyes as she weakly squeezed his   
hands. In the background, Jack began to hear the sounds of the cardiac monitor   
slow down. "Promise m' you'll call."  
  
"I promise Carter, ok? I'll call and tell Evan you want the house."  
  
"Tha.." Suddenly Sam's hand fell from Jack's as her body arched upwards in the   
throws of a seizure. Instantly Jack was at her side attempting to hold her shoulders   
down as a nurse placed a gauze covered bit between her teeth.  
  
Out of nowhere Jack heard Janet's frantic shout. "Get me a portable head CT NOW!"   
And that's when he heard it.  
  
The sound of a flat line.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A/N- I'm sorry! Really I am. (Mostly) But I have to do a little more research before   
I write any more and this was the *perfect* place to stop. You already know I have   
a seriously addiction to cliffhangers. Blame my dad for taking me to see Raiders of   
the Lost Ark when I was a kid. I still remember him saying, "That (movie) was the   
perfect example of an old TV serial. All those cliffhangers!" All I can say is I'll try   
and post soon and that sending me encouraging reviews will most definitely help!  
  
And to prove I am not a total ogre, I'll let you in on a secret; Jacob returns in the   
next chapter. 


	8. Sam's new haircut

Imbroglio- Chapter 8  
  
Huge thank you to Sarah and Paul for their medical acumen. Any mistakes herein are   
mine alone!   
  
//italics// are used to indicate host/symbiote discussion  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Last month on IMBROGLIO....  
  
"Tha.." Suddenly Sam's hand fell from Jack's as her body arched upwards in the   
throws of a seizure. Instantly Jack was at her side attempting to hold her shoulders   
down as a nurse placed a gauze covered bit between her teeth.  
  
Out of nowhere Jack heard Janet's frantic shout. "Get me a portable head CT NOW!"   
And that's when he heard it.  
  
The sound of a flat line.  
  
And now Chapter 8:  
  
Jack quickly stepped out of the way as the barrage of medical personnel surrounded   
Sam.   
  
"Give me 5 mg Epineprine stat!" Dr. Fraiser yelled as she quickly compartmentalized   
the fact that Sam Carter, one of her best friends, was lying unmoving on the bed by   
her side. "And charge the paddles to 200!" Not fully comprehending what he was   
witnessing, Jack took another step backwards. First Daniel, now Sam- how the hell   
had all this happened?!   
  
Medication was added to her IV and an endless moment ensued while they waited to   
see if anything would happen.   
  
Nothing did. Sam's gown was opened and heart paddles placed on her chest.   
"Clear!" Janet yelled as she activated the paddles causing her friend's chest to jerk   
up off the table. In the corner Jack stood stock-still, listening and watching   
everything that was happening.  
  
"Still no rhythm Doctor." A nurse said somberly as they all continued to listen to the   
EKG flatline.  
  
"Dammit Sam, don't you do this to me." Janet whispered as she prepared to shock   
her friend once again. Janet knew it wasn't standard procedure to shock someone   
with no heart rhythm, but she couldn't just stand by and do nothing.   
  
"Charge to 300 and clear!" Janet yelled again as she applied the paddles for a second   
time. Again Sam arched in the air, but this time the sounds changed as she fell   
heavily back to the bed. Everyone in the room could hear the steady beep-beep of   
normal cardiac rhythm.  
  
"We have normal sinus rhythm. " A nurse said smiling.  
  
"She's back." Janet whispered lowering the defibrillator paddles to her side. She took   
a moment to watch as her friend's chest raised and lowered gently on it's own. That   
had been way too close. Janet drew comfort from the steady beeping of the EKG and   
hoped it continued until they got Sam into surgery. Surgery she needed to get into   
*now*.  
  
"Start her on Mannitol, 2* 66 grams per hour." Janet ordered calmer now that she   
was back on stable medical ground. The diuretic drug would help alleviate the   
intracranial pressure and would hopefully keep Sam stable until they could operate.   
"And begin prepping Major Carter for surgery."   
  
Janet scribbled a few more notes on Sam's chart and turned to the nurse closest to   
her. "I also need someone to check on Dr. Warner and get an ETA on Daniel. Tell   
him what's happening out here and see if he wants me to page Dr. Mitchell or if he'll   
be able to evacuate this hemotoma himself." Janet knew she did a lot of good as the   
SGC's primary doctor, but just this once she really wished she had more surgical   
training.   
  
"I'm going to scrub in on Dr. Jackson. Keep an eye on Major Carter and the moment   
she regains consciousness; start her on 200 mg of carbamazapine. Call me   
immediately if there are any further complications."  
  
"Understood Doctor."  
  
"Doc, what's going on?" Jack asked taking a step closer towards Sam now that the   
immediate danger was over. He was clearly frustrated at his inability to help, or   
understand what the hell had just happened. He needed to know what they were   
doing to his 2IC and he needed to know now.  
  
Janet sighed softly and contemplated how best to inform the Colonel of what was   
going to happen next. Although she suspected the Colonel understood more than he   
let on, he still preferred to receive the 'Just-the-facts-ma'am' version in plain English.   
She could do that.  
  
"Colonel, we need to get Sam into surgery." Jack opened up his mouth to object, or   
at least suggest calling her dad but Janet held up a hand for silence. "Colonel, I know   
you think we should call General Carter, but honestly Sir, there just isn't time."   
  
"Why? What the hell is going on!?" Janet exhaled audibly and led a frustrated and   
worried Colonel O'Neill away from Sam and into her office. Time was of the essence,   
but she could spare a minute or two to put the Colonel at ease. Or at least make him   
understand what they needed to do. Besides, the nurses needed room to prep their   
patient, and she really didn't want Jack to witness exactly what needed to be done   
prior to surgery.  
  
"Sir, the blunt force to her head earlier today resulted in an unforeseen subdural   
hemotoma. Basically Sir, just like bumping your head and getting a bruise on the   
outside of your skull, it's possible to get one on the inside as well." Janet paused to   
make sure Jack was still following. He nodded slightly urging her to continue.   
  
"That bruise is nothing more than small micro tears of broken blood vessels. But   
because it is inside the head, there just isn't a lot of room for it to expand. The   
subdural hemotoma, the bruise inside her head, is now pressing down on Major   
Carter's brain. This is probably what caused her drastic personality change and this   
will rapidly become life threatening unless we can release the pressure."  
  
"You're going to cut into Carter's head?!" Jack asked clearly appalled at the thought.   
They can cut into his brain all they want, but they should leave Carter's the hell   
alone.  
  
"Not her brain Colonel." Janet said placing a hand on Jack's arm and trying to calm   
him down. "We're not going to get that far Sir." Picking up a pencil and a piece of   
paper, Janet attempted to draw a picture of the procedure. "This is your brain Sir,   
and here is a thin layer of tough tissue that surrounds our brain. We call it the dura.   
What Sam has is a subdural hemotoma; a bruise underneath the dura and pressing   
down on her brain. What we're going to do is drill a small access hole into her skull   
and basically make an incision through the dura, and into the hemotoma. We'll then   
pierce the hemotoma and drain away the excess blood and fluid. The pressure on her   
brain will disappear and Sam will be out of danger."   
  
"What about the liquid stuff our brains float in?" Jack asked straining to remember   
what he could about brains.  
  
"CSF Colonel?" Jack just stared at Janet incomprehensively. "The cerebral spinal fluid   
Sir." Janet explained. Jack nodded.  
  
"We have CSF both here," Janet said pointing to an area between the skull and the   
brain, "and here." She drew an arrow to a thin layer between the dura and the brain   
itself. "We'll leave the CSF Colonel and just drain the hemotoma Sir." Seeing both   
fear and concern on his face Janet tried to convince him that it really would be ok.  
  
"Colonel, I know it might be hard to believe, but this procedure really isn't that   
complicated. Don't get me wrong Sir, it *is* major surgery, but it isn't especially   
difficult surgery. Both Dr. Warner and Dr. Mitchell are more than qualified to drain   
the hemotoma without any real danger to Sam. But it needs to done now."  
  
"There really isn't time to call Jacob?" Jack asked resigned to the fact that Carter was   
going to need surgery regardless of who was here or who gave permission.  
  
"No Sir, I'm afraid there isn't."  
  
"O.k then." Jack said making up his mind. "Do it."   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Waiting sucks." Jack said aloud as he plopped himself into a hard plastic chair next   
to Teal'c.  
  
"I have observed O'Neill that you are not proficient at waiting." Teal'c said with his   
eyes still closed from his light meditative state. "Unless you are in a military   
situation." Teal'c added unnecessarily.  
  
"Tell me something I don't know Teal'c." Jack murmured as he scrubbed a hand   
across his tired face.  
  
"I can tell you many things you do not know O'Neill." Teal'c replied as he opened his   
eyes to study his weary friend.  
  
"This has been a really rotten day Teal'c." Jack said with a heavy sigh placing his   
head in his hands.  
  
"We have had worse."   
  
Jack gave a dry chuckle. "You've got me there 'T."  
  
"Both Major Carter and Daniel Jackson are in capable hands."  
  
"I know." Jack said quickly. And he did too. Dr. Warner was a good surgeon and   
Daniel's life really wasn't in any real danger. Still, Jack felt guilty. Daniel wouldn't   
have been in this mess if it weren't for him! And then there was Carter. Jack didn't   
even want to go to the dark place that placed the blame for her condition firmly on   
his shoulders. He never should have let her leave the infirmary. Never. Still, he knew   
Janet wouldn't lie to him. If she said the procedure was relatively routine, than it   
probably was. That didn't mean he had to like it though.  
  
Jack was pulled out of his dark mood by the sounds of alarms going off.  
"Unscheduled wormhole activation. Repeat unscheduled wormhole activation."  
  
Jack looked at Teal'c expectantly. "I will wait here O'Neill." Teal'c said calmly as he   
listened to the overhead speaker announce this was not a drill.  
  
"Thanks Teal'c." Jack said standing up quickly and jogging down the hall.   
This day was really starting to suck.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Receiving IDC code now Sir." The technician said waiting for the scrambled code to   
reveal the identity of the travelers en route. He looked up from his screen as the   
code was revealed. "It's the Tok'ra Sirs"  
  
"This day just keeps getting better and better." Jack mumbled audibly as he   
accompanied the General down to the gate room. Together they waited at the foot of   
the ramp for the traveler to appear and both were surprised to see Jacob Carter   
emerge.  
  
"Jacob?" Hammond asked guardedly as he took his friend's offered hand. "We didn't   
expect to see you again so soon."  
  
"Figured after helping to bring down Seth, you guys would be off doing," Jack paused   
as he gave a little hand wave, "I dunno, other Tok'ra spy stuff."   
  
"Tok'ra spy stuff Jack?" Jacob said with a laugh. "I can see why they made you a   
Colonel."  
  
"That's classified." Jack retorted. Jacob just shook his head.  
  
"So what brings you to Earth Jacob?" Hammond asked as he began to escort his   
friend out of the gate room. The sooner he got Jacob back to the briefing room the   
better. He did not want to tell him of his daughter's condition in front of an audience.  
  
"It was Selmak's idea actually." Jacob admitted as he looked around for his   
daughter. "Where's Sam?" He knew his daughter was a workaholic and seeing as   
Jack was currently on-world, that meant his Sammy must be as well.  
  
Jacob immediately grew worried at hearing no immediate response from either   
George or Jack. This time there was no hiding the concern in his voice, "George,   
where's my daughter?"  
  
"I'll fill you in on everything Jacob, let's just get inside, ok?"   
  
Jacob stopped dead still and turned to his friend and his daughter's CO. "I'm not   
going anywhere until you tell me what happened to Sam! God, George, if she's dead,   
just tell me!" Jacob was having a hard time controlling his emotions and was   
clamping down on hard on Selmak's offer to intervene.  
  
"She's alive Jake." General Hammond said laying a hand warmly on his friend's   
shoulder.   
  
"We had a little trouble off-world Sir." Jack said wishing he could curl up under a   
rock someplace. Thank god he didn't have to tell Jacob that he had gotten his   
daughter killed.  
  
"Cut the 'Sir' Jack." Jacob said tiredly as the emotional adrenaline began to ebb. "It   
sounds like crap coming from you."  
  
"Gee, thanks Jacob." Jack said lacking in any real sarcasm.   
  
"Your daughter's in surgery Jacob, so why don't you come inside and we'll tell you   
what happened."   
  
"Surgery? What the hell happened? Is she going to be ok, right?" Jacob asked   
needing to know all the details immediately.   
  
"She's going to be fine Jacob." Hammond said ushering his friend into his office. Jack   
followed and closed the door behind them.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Sam is not going to be thrilled with the new haircut." Jacob whispered as he gazed   
down upon his daughter. Her head was swathed in bandages and Jacob knew that   
underneath was nothing but a small incision and pale smooth skin. Sam had been   
moved into the SGC equivalent of Intensive Care about 20 minutes earlier and Jacob   
cursed himself for not for not getting there sooner.  
  
//You could not have known Jacob.//   
//We could have healed her Selmak. We could have used the healing device and   
prevented the surgery!//   
//You heard the doctors Jacob, she is expected to make a full recovery.//   
//She'll be bald for the next two months!//   
//I did not take Samantha for a vain woman.//   
//She's not Selmak, but that's not the point! My baby girl had brain surgery!//   
//And survived Jacob. And survived.//  
  
"The docs say she really will be ok Jacob." Jack whispered next to him. Although he   
too was greatly concerned for Carter's well being, his concern was that of a friend   
and commanding officer. Jack could only too easily imagine what it was like looking   
at your child on a hospital bed.  
  
"I know Jack." Jacob whispered giving his daughter's hand a small squeeze.  
  
"I'm here for you Sammy."   
  
Together the ex-General and Colonel walked out of one hospital room and into   
another. Daniel was quietly talking with Teal'c at the far end of the nearly empty   
infirmary.  
  
"How's Sam?" Daniel asked anxiously struggling to sit up. He had been conscious for   
over an hour now and was growing more and more frustrated at not being able to be   
at his friend's side.  
  
"Easy Daniel." Jack said placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Don't want to rip   
out any of those fancy knots the docs just put in." As promised, Daniel's surgery   
went off without a hitch and no major organs were damaged (thankfully) in the   
attack. Although he would be sore for a couple of weeks, Daniel was expected to   
make a full recovery.  
  
"Hell of a way for SG-1 to get downtime." Jack said shaking his head as he flopped   
into yet another hard plastic chair. Teal'c just raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Tell me again Jack, just why exactly you removed my daughter from an infirmary   
and drove her half way across town?" Jacob said in a dangerously low voice as he sat   
down next to Jack. Now that the immediate danger was over, Jacob was allowed to   
feel angry. And Jack, being his daughter's commanding officer, would be on the   
receiving end of that anger.  
  
//Jacob, you heard that it was Samantha's idea.//   
//Doesn't matter. Jack should have known better.//  
  
"Jacob, you have every reason to be pissed at me."   
  
"It *was* Sam's idea General Carter." Daniel added in Jack's defense.  
  
"That's no reason." Both Jacob and Jack said at the same time. Daniel just rolled his   
eyes as the two military men continued to stare at one another- one with malice and   
one with guilt.   
  
"You're right Jacob." Jack said looking up and meeting Jacob Carter's angry gaze. "I   
never should have allowed Carter to leave the infirmary." He abruptly stood up and   
started pacing. "It's just that she was so excited about this house Jacob! Between   
alien bugs and kicking alien butt, Carter just hasn't been able to find the time to do   
the things normal folks on this planet usually do!"  
  
"Like buying a house." Jacob Carter said with a small nod.  
  
"Exactly."   
  
The two men faced each other in silence for a long moment before Jacob sighed. "It   
isn't fully your fault Jack." Jacob reluctantly acquiesced. "I know how my daughter   
can get when she sets her mind to something."  
  
"Still, I should have been smarter than that Jacob." Jack said still not ready to fully   
forgive himself.  
  
"Yeah, you probably should." Jacob said nodding. "But Sammy is going to be ok, and   
that's all that really matters, right?"  
  
"Right!" Daniel said loudly from his bed. Ever the peacemaker, Daniel needed for   
Jack and Jacob to stop fighting and just accept that Sam was going to be fine. Jacob   
caved first and gave a wry chuckle as he flashed Daniel a small smile.   
  
"So Jack," Jacob said taking a seat and motioning for Jack to do the same. "Tell me   
about this house that Sammy wants..."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A/N: We're getting there kids! I promise not to hurt Sam and Daniel any more. I can   
say the end is in near sight, but I can't tell you exactly how many chapters it will   
take for me to find that sight! I do promise to post the next chapter in a timelier   
manner; the imbroglio of medicalese is now over! Thanks again to Paul and Sarah for   
all their help. 


	9. Jack's Plan, Part 1

Imbroglio  
Chapter 9  
  
Sincerest apologies for the lack of timely updates- you all know I would have posted   
sooner if it were at all humanly possible, right?   
  
This chapter talks a little about a post-blended Jacob Carter and makes some   
assumptions about how his daughter (and the Air Force) dealt with his departure   
from the planet. There is no tie-in here with my story, 'Death and Taxes'. Just   
another version of what might have happened. I'll shut up now so you can read…  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Please tell me this is the first time you've done this Jack." Jacob Carter asked   
uneasily as he watched his daughter's Commanding Officer blithely open the front   
door.  
  
"Doors? Been opening these for years Jacob." Jack replied dryly as he placed the   
keys on the entry table.  
  
"Yes, but have you opened *Sam's* door before." Jacob clarified.  
  
Jack gave Jacob a funny look and shook his head. "Hey Selmak," Jack called out as   
he entered the living room. "Tell Jacob to stop looking for things that aren't there   
and to focus instead on Carter's meticulous filing system."  
  
Jacob held up his hands in defeat. "All right, all right- I'll shut up. I just thought it   
was strange you had Sam's apartment key."  
  
"Would it make you feel any better if I told you that I actually got the key from   
Daniel?" Jack said looking behind his shoulder as he ventured into the smaller   
second bedroom that served as Sam's study. Although he had only been inside   
Sam's apartment twice before, his military mind had made a note of where all the   
major rooms (and exits) were located. Occupational habit.  
  
"Yes Jack, it would." Jacob said resisting the urge to slap the younger man on   
the side of his head. He was purposefully being obtuse and Jacob was way too tired   
to play games. Both he and Jack had spent most of the night in the infirmary.   
Although Dr. Frasier had assured both men that Sam would be fine, Jacob wasn't   
going to truly believe that until Sam opened up her blue eyes herself and told him   
so.  
  
Jack had gotten it into his head that they should try and get that house Sam so   
desperately wanted. And in order to do that, they needed money- preferably *her*   
money. Jacob felt strange going through his daughter's house without her   
permission and even stranger knowing they were looking for banking information   
when he had plenty of money of his own. Well he had when he lived on Earth…  
  
"You know Sam set me up with an account." Jacob said conversationally as he   
opened his daughter's desk and carefully moved items about.  
  
"That was nice of her." Jack replied as he opened up the closet and peered inside for   
anything bank-like. "I take it, the account was with your own money?"  
  
"Yes Jack, it was with my own money." Jacob replied wondering just how the hell his   
daughter put up with this man. "Obviously, I couldn't keep it under my own name   
so Sam set up a trust fund of sorts at her own bank."  
  
"So what's the problem?" Jack asked turning back around.  
  
"I forgot the PIN." Jacob said under his breath.  
  
"You what?!" Jack retorted struggling not to laugh.  
  
"I forgot the PIN number to the ATM card, ok?" Jacob repeated clearly embarrassed.   
"Sam had offered to reset it to a number I would most likely remember and I told   
her that wasn't necessary."  
  
"And then you forgot it." Jack repeated.  
  
"And then I forgot it."  
  
"Jacob, you of all people should know that when Carter makes a suggestion, it's   
probably a good one."  
  
"Gee Jack, I didn't know that." Jacob replied sarcastically.  
  
"Hey, you're the one without the cash card…"   
  
After giving Jack his best can-we-please-just-drop-it look, both men went back to   
sleuthing.  
  
"Aha!" Jack declared triumphantly as he pulled out a hanging folder marked 'Bank'.   
Inside were three smaller manila folders: Checking, Savings and Dad's. "Told you   
Carter was anal."   
  
"Jack, could you PLEASE refer to my daughter by her first name?" Jacob asked   
clearly frustrated. "I understand using her last name at the SGC and in the field, but   
it's very disconcerting having you call my daughter by her last name when the senior   
version of 'Carter' is standing right in front of you."  
  
Jack shrugged. "Habit." He paused as if considering something. "How long has   
Car..SAM gone by the name Sam anyhow?"  
  
"A long time!" Jacob said with a chuckle. "Sam couldn't have been much older than   
8 or 9 when I returned from a tour in Germany and presented my baby girl with a   
new Barbie doll. Her mother and I were both shocked when Sam grabbed a pair of   
scissors and promptly chopped off most of the poor doll's hair. It was so strange,   
because Sam herself had long hair and didn't seem to mind it. The next day she had   
me drive her to a mall where she bought Ken doll clothing and dressed Barbie up in   
these really silly looking fatigues. She declared Barbie's new name to be "Barb" and   
said that from now on we should call her "Sam".  
  
"So it had nothing to do with the whole trying to fit in thing?" Jack asked. He had   
sometimes wondered if Carter went by Sam so that people wouldn't dispute anything   
she said (as if they possibly could) just because she was a woman.  
  
"Nope." Jacob said turning his head. "That was just an added bonus."   
  
Jack handed Jacob the folder marked 'Dad's' and took a look at the one marked   
'Savings'. He gave a low appreciative whistle. "Nice!"  
  
"Jack." Jacob admonished as he opened his own folder. "We're looking for specific   
information here, not trying to spy on Sam's net worth."  
  
"But she's loaded!" Jack declared holding up the savings book as Evidence A. He   
was clearly shocked that Sam had saved up quite a bit more than he despite the   
obvious disparity in rank and pay. He looked questioningly at Jacob hoping for an   
explanation.  
  
Jacob sighed and wished he still actually got headaches so he could excuse himself   
and take an Excedrin. "In Graduate School, Sam invented some sort of device that   
became quite popular with Physicists. I sure as hell can't explain what sort of   
microscopic something or other it measures, but Sam patented the thing and still   
collects royalties.   
  
"Cool." Jack said clearly impressed glancing down once again at the savings book.  
  
"Jack, we've got what we've come for, can we just get this over with?"  
  
"Jacob, quit being such a pessimist!" Jack said brightly as he closed Sam's filing   
drawer.  
  
"This isn't going to work Jack." Jacob replied in a defeated voice as he followed Jack   
back to the car. He grimaced as Jack handed him the freshly pressed and laundered   
uniform.  
  
"Sure it will General." Jack said giving Jacob a wide grin.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Jack, have I mentioned lately that I don't think this will work?"   
  
"Frequently Jacob." Jack replied slightly annoyed as he gripped the steering wheel a   
bit tighter. He pulled up to a red traffic signal and turned to face the older man   
sitting stiffly in a General's Class A uniform. Although Jack didn't like wearing his   
Colonel's uniform any more than Jacob did, he knew the uniforms were going to be   
important if they were to pull this off.  
  
"You thought it was a good idea last night." Jack reminded him.  
  
"SELMAC thought it was a good idea last night. I was too busy being overwhelmed   
that my daughter was still alive." Jack had nothing to say to that and turned back to   
stare at the signal. Yesterday had been one of the longest days of his life. Carter   
really had come close to dying and if she had, it would have been entirely his fault.   
Jack really didn't think he needed more nightmare fodder, but such was life. The   
light turned green and they rode another few minutes in silence.  
  
"Tell me again Jack," Jacob said in a resigned voice. "Why this great plan of yours is   
going to work?" Jack flashed Jacob a thankful smile.  
  
"Sam banks at the Wells Fargo in downtown Colorado Springs, right?" Jacob   
nodded. "Well, not only is my account there as well, but that whole bizarre probate   
thing we did for you last year was also done at a Wells Fargo."  
  
Jacob could only shake his head. "Problem number one Jack; how can I play the   
father trump card if I'm supposed to be dead?"  
  
"You're not dead Jacob!" Jack said clearly frustrated.  
  
"I had noticed." Jacob replied in a deadpan voice.  
  
"Jacob, you gotta work with me here at least a little!" Jack grumbled.  
  
Jacob held out his hands. "Apologies. But explain to me again how my being Sam's   
dad will help considering this is the very bank that went through the onerous task of   
settling my estate?"  
  
"You had an estate?" Jack asked interested.  
  
"Jack.."  
  
"Wow, you sound just like Carter when you say it like that. Well, actually Carter just   
uses that tone of voice when she 'Sirs' me. Bordering on insubordination, don't you   
think?"  
  
"Jack." Clearly Jacob Carter was not amused.  
  
"Tough crowd." Jack muttered.   
  
"We never said you DIED Jacob, Carter wouldn't let us do that. Although you and   
your son weren't on the best of terms at the time.."  
  
"No kidding." Jacob interrupted.  
  
"Sam didn't think it was fair to say that you were dead when clearly you are not."  
  
"I appreciate that, but what about Probate?" Jacob asked.  
  
"Although we hoped you'd come back and visit on occasion, we didn't think you'd be   
needing to draw social security anytime soon and the whole AARP* membership had   
really lost it's appeal, don't you think?"  
  
Jacob gave a dry chuckle. "Think there's better discounts after you hit 125?"  
  
"You'll live to be 125?" Jack asked truly impressed.  
  
"Selmac is hoping for 150, but considering we didn't blend until I was 65, I'm a little   
more realistic."  
  
"You're going to outlive me Jacob." Jack said more troubled by that notion than he   
wanted to admit. Humans just aren't meant to live much past 100. But then again,   
Jacob wasn't truly human anymore was he?  
  
"Jack, with your lifestyle, I'd probably have outlived you anyhow." Jacob said with a   
sigh. "Which reminds me, would you *please* try and not provoke every alien you come  
across while you have my daughter in tow?"  
  
"I mostly just piss off the Goa'uld." Jack said defensively. "Most aliens like me just   
fine. Hell, the Asgard chose ME to represent the entire planet!"  
  
"You nearly gave away your Stargate Jack."  
  
"An option I was whole-heartily against I might add." Jack said hotly.  
  
"Probate Jack?" Jacob reminded the temperamental Colonel.  
  
//You sure you don't want to come out here and entertain Jack?//  
//You're doing fine Jacob.//  
//I'd really rather take a back-seat to all of this.//  
//General Hammond insisted I remain hidden outside of the SGC, and I concur with   
his decision.//  
//What George doesn't know won't hurt him.//  
//Colonel O'Neill would know.//  
//You're no fun at all, are you?//  
  
"Jacob? Are you listening to me here?"  
  
"Sorry Jack. You were saying?"  
  
"We knew you weren't dead, but seeing as you weren't around, it was decided to   
gather all your finances and stuff in a central area and make certain the government   
didn't try and track you down with social security checks or Medicare or something   
like that."  
  
"You had actually helped up out loads by completing a will and signing over all your   
liquid assets to Sam and Mark."  
  
"I thought I was going to die Jack, of COURSE I had a will. But seeing as I hadn't   
actually died, how did any of you see it?"  
  
"That's where the whole probate thing comes in." Jack said as he pulled into the   
parking lot of the bank. He turned off the car and unbuckled his seat belt.  
  
"Look Jacob, I don't really understand it myself, but Hammond and the Joint Chiefs   
pulled some strings in order to list you as MIA but not dead. MIA status is all banks   
and lawyers need to get the ball rolling on the probate thing."  
  
"But I'm obviously here Jack. It's the Missing in Action part that's lacking."  
  
"Simple tap of the keyboard by the Pentagon and suddenly you're found Jacob."   
Jack said smugly. "Military ID is all you need. According to databases around the   
world, you're now alive and kicking. The moment you're gone we'll just go back and   
say your MIA again."   
  
Jacob just shook his head and grabbed the three folders by his side. "This isn't going   
to work Jack, but we might as well try."  
  
"That's the spirit Jacob!" Jack said clapping his hand on Jacob's shoulder. "Let's go   
get Carter some money."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A/N- I know it's too much to ask if it was worth the wait, but are you still enjoying   
the story? We're about ¾'s of the way through now, and I'm hoping to finish this up   
in two or three more chapters. Drop me a line if I'm still holding your attention, ok? 


	10. Jack's Plan, Part 2

Sorry for the delay- without further ado, I bring you Imbroglio, Chapter 10.  
  
Chapter 10  
  
"Have these things always itched this bad?" Jacob whispered resisting the urge to   
pull on his collar as they walked through the front door.  
  
"You'd prefer a tunic?" Jack whispered back, clearly shocked that the former Air   
Force General would prefer Tok'ra clothing to Earth attire.  
  
"Hell yes! Much more comfortable."  
  
"We're definitely going to have words later Jacob." Jack said quietly as he pulled off   
his aviator glasses and smiled broadly at the young bank clerk. "But for the   
moment, just follow my lead."  
  
"G..good Morning." The impressionable young bank clerk said staring at the two   
officers. Working in Colorado Springs, she was used to seeing military personnel   
coming and going, but seldom saw officers in full military regalia. The pair standing   
before her was truly impressive with their colorful array of metals and ribbons pinned   
to their perfectly pressed uniforms.  
  
"Good Morning Mary." Jack said amicably as he looked down at the nameplate by   
her terminal. "Is there a manager around we might talk to?"  
  
"Of course." Mary said relieved that they had asked a question she could answer.   
"If you would just have a seat behind you, I'll let him know you're here."  
  
"Thanks." Jack said taking off his hat and tucking it under his arm. He turned back   
towards Jacob and gave him a triumphant grin.  
  
"Ooo, you intimidated a 23 year old, way to be imposing Jack." Jacob whispered as   
he and Jack sat down to wait for the manager.   
  
"Part of the plan Jacob." Jack said smugly straightening his jacket. Jacob just rolled   
his eyes.  
  
A door in the far corner of the bank opened, and a dapper older man who couldn't   
have fit the stereotypical image of a bank manager better if he tried, smiled tightly   
at the two men as he quickly walked towards them. Both Jack and Jacob rose as the   
distinguished banker stopped before them.  
  
"Good day gentlemen." The manager said offering first Jacob and then Jack his   
hand. "My name is Earnest Meriwether and I am the manager of this bank. I   
understand you wished to speak with me?"   
  
"We do Sir, if it isn't too much trouble." Jack said politely. Jacob was rather proud   
of himself for not groaning aloud at Jack's obsequiousness. Although Jack tended to   
piss people off, he also had this ineffable charisma that made Jacob very glad his   
daughter was directly in O'Neill's chain of command. Selmak scoffed.  
  
//You believe O'Neill would 'charm the pants off' your daughter?//  
//He sure as hell better not!// Jacob replied hotly.  
//Because Colonel O'Neill is her commanding officer?// Selmak queried.  
//Well, for starters.//  
//Colonel O'Neill was a married man for several years Jacob.//  
//I know that.// Jacob replied testily.  
//And do you doubt the love and affection he felt for his wife and son? Do you   
believe he 'fooled around' on them?//  
//Of course not!//  
//Then why do you question his intentions towards your daughter?//  
  
At times like this Jacob sincerely regretted being blended. He just wasn't able to   
have a fleeting thought anymore! Now, no matter how ridiculous the notion, Selmak   
was right there to argue with him.  
  
//I'm just saying that Jack is smooth, ok? Isn't he recently divorced or something?   
I'm just saying that if Jack O'Neill ever DOES have time to seek a social life outside   
of the SGC, the women better watch out.//  
//You humans are very strange.// Selmak replied before becoming silent once again.  
  
"Colonel O'Neill." Mr. Meriwether said nodding in acknowledgement.  
  
"And this is General Jacob Carter." Jack said kicking Jacob serendipitously in the   
shin. Instantly Jacob became aware that he had missed introductions and gave the   
bank manager a slight tilt of his head. Mentally, he chastised Selmak for distracting   
him.  
  
"Jacob?" Jack hissed elbowing the older man lightly in the ribs. "Stop talking to   
yourself and stay with me here, ok?"   
  
"Sorry." Jacob muttered under his breath. He followed Jack as they were led to into   
a back office and asked to sit down.  
  
"Now how can I help you two gentlemen?" Mr. Meriwether said taking a seat behind   
the large mahogany desk that held his bronzed nameplate.  
  
"We'd like to withdrawal some money." Jack said. Mr. Meriwether frowned slightly.  
  
"A simple withdrawal does not require my assistance." The banker replied after a   
moment's hesitation.   
  
"It isn't exactly 'simple' I'm afraid Sir." Jack said apologetically as he took out   
several pieces of paper and an ID card from his jacket pocket. "This is my 2IC,   
Major Samantha Carter."  
  
"Dr.Carter?" Mr. Meriwether said in a surprised voice as he picked up the ID.  
  
"You know Sam?" Jacob asked.  
  
"Dr. Carter has been banking here for over three years now, of course I know her."   
The banker said matter-of-factly. Jack held his tongue and resisted asking   
Meriwether if he recognized Jack as well. After all, he had been banking there for   
over 7 years!  
  
"Is Dr. Carter all right?" Mr. Meriwether asked sounding a little concerned.  
  
"I won't lie to you Sir. Major Carter was involved in a work-related accident and had   
to undergo emergency surgery." Jack said trying not to think about the role he   
played in her condition.  
  
"Which is why we're here." Jacob added.  
  
"I don't understand." Mr. Meriwether said eyeing the sober-looking men.  
  
"We need to withdrawal some money from Major Carter's account." Earnest   
Meriwether frowned slightly as he absorbed what Jack was saying.  
  
"You would like to withdrawal money from Dr. Carter's account?"   
  
"Yes." Jack said with an emphatic nod. "It's to buy a house." Jack added.  
  
"Do you have permission to do so?" The banker asked blinking rapidly behind his   
stylish Armani frames.  
  
"I have here a letter from Carter's doctor stating she has indeed undergone brain   
surgery, and a letter from General Hammond, our base CO…" Earnest held up a hand   
to stop Jack from continuing any further.  
  
"Do you have a document from Dr. Carter giving you permission to withdrawal   
money from her account?"  
  
"Uh.." Jack began fumbling with the paperwork. "Jake, help me out here." He said   
turning towards Jacob Carter.  
  
"Mr. Meriwether," Jacob began. "My surname of Carter, and it's not just a   
coincidence; Samantha Carter is my daughter." Now it was Jack's turn to blink. He   
didn't think he had ever heard Jacob call Carter anything but 'Sam' or 'Kiddo'.  
  
"You are General Carter?" Earnest said once again with a small frown.  
  
"Correct."  
  
"But aren't you dead?" Earnest asked bluntly.  
  
"Now would be a good time to quote Shakespeare Jacob." Jack said cheekily.   
"Rumors of my death and all that." Jacob ignored him.  
  
"About 6 months ago I was missing in action and presumed dead." Jacob began in   
explanation.  
  
"Presumed." Jack stressed.  
  
Jacob shot Jack a warning look. "The Air Force got a hold of my will and what   
remained of my estate was divided amongst my children. Sam got most of my   
money."  
  
"And your house." The banker added offhandedly. "If I remember correctly, your   
home in Maryland sold a few weeks after you were declared dead." The banker   
paused as he remembered more details. "In fact, I thought it was strange at the   
time that Dr. Carter wasn't more upset at your passing."  
  
"Carter always knew her dad would be back." Jack said in explanation. "It would   
take more than a letter from some faceless bureaucrat to convince Sam that her dad   
was dead.  
  
"Right." Jacob said clearly not too happy with this line of conversation. The less he   
recalled the months and weeks leading up to his blending the better; Jacob Carter   
had been preparing for death and he was very, very thankful his daughter just   
happened to be one kick-ass galactic explorer.   
  
"So you believe me when I say I'm Sam's dad?" Jacob asked.   
  
"I have no reason not to." The banker said wryly. "Hold on, let me get her card."   
With that the banker stood up and swiftly walked out of the room.  
  
"Where's he going?" Jack asked.  
  
"No idea." Jacob answered.  
  
The banker quickly returned with a long rectangular box packed tightly with small   
index cards. "Callahan, Carlyle..Carter. Here we go, Doctor Samantha Carter."  
  
"What's that?" Jack asked pointing to the small card hidden behind the banker's   
hand.  
  
"This is Dr. Carter's privacy card."   
  
'Privacy Card?' Jack mouthed to Jacob. Jacob just shrugged.  
  
"For simple bank accounts, we ask just for a simple password, usually a mother's   
maiden name. But with each subsequent account, we try to gather additional   
information. Dr. Carter has a checking and savings account with us, as well as   
several Certificates of Deposit and a safety deposit box."  
  
"Wonder what's in the box." Jack murmured. Again Jacob ignored him.  
  
"So Sam's given you some personal information." Jacob said catching on.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Lay it on us." Jack said eagerly leaning back in his chair. After spending a little   
over three years with Samantha Carter, Jack was certain he'd know most of the   
answers. Well maybe not most, but he'd surely know some…  
  
"The questions are for General Carter." Earnest said pointedly.  
  
"Sorry." Jack muttered holding up his hands as he leaned back.  
  
"Mother's maiden name." Earnest said reading the top question on his card.  
  
"Jensen." Jacob said with a small smile. Enough time had passed so that now when   
he remembered his wife, it was with nostalgia and love rather than guilt. Jacob was   
fairly certain Selmak had a hand in that.  
  
"First love."  
  
"You have GOT to be kidding me!" Jack said incredulously.  
  
"Dr. Carter chose these questions."   
  
"Somehow I don't think she meant Toby Samuels in the 2nd grade, so I'm going to go   
with a Harley XR750."  
  
"Year?" Earnest prompted.  
  
"Ah man… I don't know. It was either a '68 or '69."  
  
"I'll except that." Earnest conceded. Jack was suitably impressed. Jake had   
remembered a 30+ year bike?!  
  
"Pet's name?" The banker asked as he continued to read off the little card.  
  
"Sam has a pet?" Jack asked clearly stunned that Sam would keep a pet. It wasn't   
as if she had a 9-5 job or anything…  
  
"Had." Jack corrected.  
  
"Did he…she die?" Jacob asked hoping it wasn't of starvation or something.  
  
"Uh no-ooo." Jack said cocking his head slightly to one side. "Carter gave the cat to   
a friend before he went on a trip. A really, really long trip." Jacob's eyebrows   
arched upwards in understanding.  
  
"Well, knowing Sam, the…cat you said?" Jack nodded. "The cat would most   
definitely have to be named after a scientist. So it would be Einstein or Schrödinger   
or something." Jack grinned.  
  
"Correct." Earnest said with a nod. "Father's Rank."  
  
"Ooo, a hard one Jake!" Jack said sarcastically.  
  
"Here, let me check my ID," Jacob said reaching for his wallet. "I'm a United States   
Air Force General (Ret.) sir, could you please cut the crap and just let me know if we   
can withdrawal the money or not!"  
  
"You cannot." Earnest said with a small sigh.  
  
"Why the hell not?" Jacob said angrily. "Do you doubt that I'm Sam's father?"  
  
"Jacob.." Jack said laying his hand lightly on the Tok'ra's shoulder. Jack was afraid   
that at any moment Jacob might do the glowy Tok'ra eye trick and scare the hell out   
of the dignified little banker.  
  
"I believe you are Dr. Carter's father sir, but I am sorry to say that I cannot release   
any of her funds to you."  
  
"Even though some of that money was mine."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Great plan Jack." Jacob said with a heavy sigh as he shook his head in defeat.  
  
"Hold on, hold on." Jack said not ready to admit defeat. "Mr. Meriwether, what   
would happen if Major Carter had been seriously injured and needed that money?"  
  
"Her designated contact could gain access…"  
  
"Great!" Jack said interrupting the banker. "Who is it?"  
  
"I really can't divulge that information sir." Earnest replied stiffly.  
  
"Look, it's either Mark her brother, Doc Fraiser or Daniel and…"  
  
"Daniel who?" Earnest asked.  
  
"Dr. Daniel Jackson." Jack answered trying hard not to grin. If it did turn out to be   
Danny, they'd be home free!  
  
"It is indeed Dr. Jackson."  
  
"Well just hold on 30 minutes or so and I'll get Danny.." Jack began as he reached   
into his jacket pocket for his cell phone. Suddenly he froze. Daniel was still in   
recovery. There was just no way Jack would risk Daniel's health like he had Sam's;   
Daniel needed to stay put. "Would a faxed request work for you?" He asked   
hopefully.  
  
"Colonel O'Neill if you would let me finish," Earnest began. "Although Dr. Jackson is   
indeed her emergency contact, he would only be allowed to withdrawal money after   
it was determined that the funds would be used in her best interests."  
  
"But that's what we're telling you!" Jack said in frustration.  
  
"Please Colonel O'Neill!" Earnest said raising his voice for the first time. "It would   
take either a court order or a doctor's signature.." Jack began to open his mouth to   
let the banker know that they had indeed a doctor's signature. "A doctor's signature   
AND a signed legal affidavit before the money would be released. These things take   
time."  
  
"But we don't HAVE time." Jack growled; he had clearly reached the end of his   
patience.  
  
"I am sorry." Earnest said sincerely. He didn't doubt the veracity of the pair before   
him but when it came to banking, he always followed the rules. And the rules in this   
case were perfectly clear. Before he could say anything more Jack abruptly stood   
up.  
  
"General, we should be going." Jack said formally as he straightened his jacket and   
put on his sunglasses. "Thank you for your time Mr. Meriwether." He said offering   
the befuddled banker his hand. Earnest was indeed confused. One minute the   
Colonel was yelling at him, and now he was being polite?  
  
Jacob stood alongside Jack and also shook the bankers hand. He never really   
thought Jack's plan would work in the first place, but he was still disappointed.   
Silently he followed Jack back outside. Jack had just finished unlocking the doors   
when he snapped his fingers. "Damn! Forgot my hat Jacob. I'll be right back."   
Leaving the Tok'ra/General (Ret.) in his truck, Jack headed back into the bank.  
  
"Mr. Meriwether!" Jack yelled before the banker could disappear behind the bank's   
backroom doors.  
  
"Yes?" Earnest said as he turned around to face the disheveled Colonel. Just   
moments ago, the man had looked pristine, and now he was madly pawing at his   
pockets!  
  
"I'd like to withdrawal $4,500 from my personal account please." Jack said pulling   
out an already filled in withdrawal slip. "And can you make it a cashier's check made   
out to 'Eagle Real Estate'?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
*Big Stupid Grin* Did you see that coming? Heh heh- God, I love writing!  
I will make no promises about when I will post the next chapter, but I will do my   
sincere best to finish this before school starts again at the end of the month. 


	11. Infirmary Musings

A/N: Repost! Now I'm glad a lot of you didn't catch this chapter the first time around,   
because (gasp!) I *completely* lost sight of Teal'c! I feel like an idiot! So I rewrote a large   
chunk of this chapter and will be going back through the other chapters and posting   
timestamps to help clarify what happened when. Thanks for your patience!  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Snippet of conversation from the Paris Stargate convention (Nov. 2003)  
  
Question to Michael Shanks: "What's with the whole "Jack-Daniel" thing anyhow?"  
Look of non-understanding from MS  
"You know- that banter they have between each other. "Jack." "Daniel." "Jaack."   
"Dan-iel."  
MS- "I gotcha now. Well you see when you're as close as Rick and I…"  
embarrassed, slightly maniacal laughter from the back of the auditorium  
MS puts his microphone down and shakes his head as if in pain before pulling the   
microphone back up and glaring at the back of the room.  
MS- "It's all about homosexuality with you people isn't it?!"   
  
He later goes on to clarify that when two *actors* work as well together as he and   
Richard Dean Anderson, it is easy for them to let their off-screen friendship shine through in   
the characters they portray.  
  
MS will probably never read any of my stories (although I really want him to try a   
Barista or two) but this chapter is dedicated to him. *This* is what he meant by   
friendship and camaraderie.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chapter 11  
  
Wednesday  
1600 hours  
  
Several hours after dropping Jacob off, Jack arrived back on base and immediately headed   
to the infirmary to check on Sam and Daniel. Sam was still being held in the SGC   
equivalent of an intensive care ward, but Daniel had been moved to his 'usual' infirmary bed.   
Bypassing Daniel for the time being, Jack headed straight for Carter's portioned area. The   
absence of any loud machinery or nurses was a very welcome sign.   
  
"How is she?" Jack whispered to the lone man sitting by Sam's side.   
  
"Janet says she should be fine." Jacob said tiredly. "The surgery was successful and they're   
just having Sam sleep for a few more hours."  
  
"But she's going to be ok, right?" Jack asked trying not to sound as worried as he felt.  
  
"Yeah." Jacob said giving him a small smile. "She's going to be fine." Jacob said tenderly   
tucking the blankets around his daughter's slender form.   
  
"Where's Teal'c?" Jack asked quietly looking around the room.  
  
"I sent him to his quarters." Jacob answered sounding suspiciously like a formal General.   
"Jack, did you know that he hasn't left the infirmary since SG-1 returned from your mission   
yesterday?!"   
  
"Yeah- we're kinda like that Jacob…"   
  
"Well, stop it!" Jacob said sounding a little bit like he hadn't slept in 24 hours.   
  
Which he hadn't.   
  
"Sam's going to be fine. Daniel is going to be fine. You guys don't need to kill yourselves   
remaining by their sides! I sent Teal'c to his quarters for some Kel No Reem."  
  
"Hmmm." Jack said noncommittally shoving his hands deep into his pockets.  
  
"Jack..?"  
  
"Did Janet order Teal'c to get some rest?" Jack asked pointedly.  
  
"No—I did."  
  
"Hmmm." Jack said again as he absently wondered how long it would take Sam to grow her   
hair back. If hair grows a ½ inch a month,,,  
  
"Jack?!" Jacob said clearly growing impatient.   
  
"Betcha a dollar he's sitting with Daniel right now." Jack said knowingly, deciding that Carter   
would have her "look" back by the end of Spring.  
  
"But I…"  
  
"Jacob, you know better than anyone that SG-1 isn't your average front line team. They've   
kept us together a hell of a lot longer than regulations suggest, but I think this is a good   
thing. A very good thing. Because, it is probably due to our closeness that we have kicked   
some major Goa'uld ass. And god knows I couldn't ask for better teammates or friends."   
Jack swallowed the lump in his throat. He *must* be tired. He'd never be spouting off all of   
this to Jacob otherwise. Or anyone for that matter.  
  
"All I'm saying is that SG-1 takes care of each other. And if that means that someone   
doesn't sleep for a couple of days to insure that a teammate doesn't wake up alone- than   
that's what we do."  
  
"Which means Teal'c is sitting with Daniel." Jacob finished.  
  
"Yep." Jack said with a nod pulling up a chair and sitting down next to Jacob.  
  
"Jack?"  
  
"Jacob?"  
  
"Get the hell out of here."  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"You heard me- Go sit with Daniel if you must, but order Teal'c to get some real rest, ok?"  
  
"But Carter..?"  
  
"I'll stay with my daughter Jack." Jacob said resisting the need to roll his eyes. As if he had   
any other place to go.  
  
"You'll let me know if there's any change..?"  
  
"Of course Jack."  
  
"Ok then." Jack said standing up trying not to grimace at the sound his knees made. "I'll   
just be over at Daniel's. Have a nurse come and get me if there's any change."  
  
"Goodbye Jack."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Hey 'T, Daniel." Jack said as he walked across the mostly empty infirmary wing towards his   
friends. He could see that Daniel was alert and talking quietly with Teal'c about something   
that Jack probably wouldn't have a chance of understanding. Jack had learned a long time   
ago that *everyone* on his team was a hell of a lot smarter than himself. Teal'c might not   
say much, but Jack had learned never to underestimate the quiet warrior. After living 90-  
odd years, Teal'c had most definitely been around the block.  
  
"How are you feeling, Daniel?" Jack asked giving Teal'c a thankful nod and critically   
regarding his friends appearance. Although still a bit pale, Daniel's color had definitely   
improved. Still, Jack wasn't very happy about the fact that Daniel was back in an infirmary   
bed.   
  
Again.   
  
"It's not your fault Jack." Daniel said plainly, once again demonstrating his uncanny ability to   
read Jack's mind.   
  
"How exactly would you have gotten yourself stabbed without my help Daniel..?" Jack   
asked still feeling the need to throw the blame firmly upon himself.  
  
"O'Neill, you are not helping DanielJackson or yourself with these words."  
  
"Yeah, I know." Jack paused and looked closely at Teal'c this time. Jacob was right, Teal'c   
did look a little tired.  
  
"Hey 'T, why don't you head back to your quarters and catch a little kel no reem. I'll sit here   
with Daniel for awhile."  
  
"Are you certain O'Neill?" Teal'c asked betraying not a hint of weariness in his voice. But   
Jack knew better. Teal'c wasn't insisting he remain put; he knew he needed to rest. Like   
Jack said- way smarter.  
  
"Shoo." Jack said giving Teal'c a little wave with his hand.  
  
"I will return in the morning DanielJackson." Teal'c said to Daniel.  
  
"I'll be here." Daniel said self-deprecatively.  
  
Jack watched him go and slipped back into his guilt-wracked psyche.  
  
"Jack, stop that! It wasn't you fault." Daniel said again.  
  
"You know I hate it when you do that." Jack grumbled as he sat down in one of the   
ubiquitous plastic chairs scattered about the infirmary.  
  
"I'd shrug Jack, but I think it would hurt."   
  
"Yeah, about that. How are you feeling Daniel? Really?"  
  
"Surprisingly, not like I've been stabbed in the gut by a seldom-used nail file. Remind me to   
get Sam a new one for her birthday."  
  
"Don't think she'd appreciate the humor in that." Jack said tiredly rubbing a hand across his   
face.  
  
"Probably not." Daniel agreed. "But it wasn't as if it was Sam who stabbed me Jack, it was   
Jolinar."  
  
"I don't think Carter will see it that way." Jack said shaking his head slowly and looking   
every bit his age.  
  
"No. She probably won't." Daniel paused and looked at Jack seriously. "How's she doing   
Jack? Really?"  
  
"Doc says she'll be just fine." Jack said standing up abruptly and scanning the room for   
something safe to pick up. "Jacob's with her now and promised he'd let us know when she   
regained consciousness."  
  
"She's still out?" Daniel asked becoming increasingly worried.  
  
"Yeah, but apparently she's supposed to be." Jack said holding up both hands in defeat and   
plopping back down in the chair. "I don't understand it either Daniel. First they insist that   
concussion victims shouldn't fall asleep for extended periods of time and now they're   
drugging her in order to 'help her heal'!"  
  
"Janet knows what she's doing Jack." Daniel said quietly. Jack nodded and remained silent   
staring at his hands deep in thought. Daniel took a moment to study his friend and   
recognized the telltale signs of worry, sleep deprivation and something he couldn't quite put   
his finger on.  
  
"Jack?"  
  
"Hmm?" Jack said looking up.  
  
"Where were you earlier?"   
  
Jack looked at him blankly. "What do you mean?"   
  
"Earlier." Daniel repeated enunciating the word. "Jacob came and checked on me about   
three hours ago. I was a little surprised to see only him and asked where you were. He   
briefly told me about your little bank adventure and then explained that after a quick phone   
call with Janet, you were content to just drop him off at the SGC and speed off into the   
sunset.  
  
Now I can see why you might not want to visit me, seeing as I wind up in this damn infirmary   
so often that it's blasé, but Sam…"  
  
"It's not that Daniel." Jack said in attempted explanation.  
  
"Than what is it Jack?" Daniel asked genuinely curious. He had never met a man with such   
an infinite amount of concern for his team than Jack O'Neill. Unless General Hammond   
needed him for official SGC business, Daniel could always count on at least Jack to be by   
his side when he woke up in the infirmary.   
  
"Jack..?" Daniel prompted again.  
  
Jack looked at him for a moment and then glanced around the quiet infirmary. It was   
dinnertime at the SGC and most of the day nurses had gone home and nearly everyone   
else was down in the commissary.  
  
"Jack, you're freaking me out here." Daniel said as he watched Jack get up and pick up a   
stethoscope lying on a counter near by. "What's going on?"  
  
Jack let out a sigh and sat back down. "I'm trying to help Carter." Jack said finally.  
  
"Help her? How?" Sam was safe at the SGC and in very capable medical hands. How was   
Jack going to help her?  
  
Jack waved a hand haphazardly in circles. "With the whole house thing."   
  
"I'm not quite following you Jack." Daniel said after mulling over Jack's words for a few   
moments.  
  
"Must be the drugs." Jack muttered.   
  
"Riiigghht. Drugs." Daniel said nodding and not understanding a damn thing.  
  
"For crying out loud Jack, would you just spill it!" A rare grin threatened to flash across   
Jack's face at hearing Daniel use one of his favorite phrases.  
  
"Yes! Teal'c owes me $10 bucks."   
  
"I'm not going to ask." Daniel said trying not to think what that must be about.  
  
"Yes you are." Jack countered in a singsong voice.  
  
"No, I'm not."  
  
"Betcha you are."  
  
"Jack!"  
  
"Yes oh inquisitive one?"  
  
Daniel sighed heavily and wondered if he should push the happy drug button and let   
narcotics postpone this non-conversation with Jack. Every time he woke up from some   
nasty accident or surgery, Janet would patiently explain how managed pain meds work and   
how Daniel should just push the button near his bed if he needed help with the pain. Daniel,   
like Jack, seldom pushed the button. Oh he wasn't quite as bad as Jack. If the pain was   
really severe, he sure as hell would push it, but usually it wasn't so bad. Usually.  
  
Oh what the hell- "Why'd you bet Teal'c $10?"  
  
Jack grinned triumphantly. "Teal'c and I have a bet as to who would quote me first. He   
thought it would be Carter, but I was certain it would be you."  
  
"You're a rich man Jack." He said drolly. "Now tell me about the 'whole house thing'. You   
mean Sam's house?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"But Sam doesn't actually have a house yet."  
  
"I know!" Jack said clearly frustrated. "I'm working on that part."  
  
"Jack," Daniel said with sudden understanding. "Please tell me you are not buying that   
house for Sam."  
  
"I'm not buying the house Daniel." Jack said leaving the idea sitting out there. "Although   
Carter really does want that house and god knows I have enough cash to actually buy it…"  
  
"You didn't!" Daniel said in horror.  
  
"I just said I'm not buying the house Daniel! Geeze. Did Carter smack you in the head as   
well? You're a little bit slow on the uptake Danny."  
  
"Jack, I was in surgery 8 hours ago, cut me a little slack would you?"  
  
Jack had the good graces to look guilty. It was so easy to banter with Daniel that sometimes   
Jack forgot where they were. Once SG-1 has been held "as guests" for 12 hours while they   
waited for the rising moon. They weren't in actual danger, but they also weren't allowed to   
leave. Daniel had assured them that as soon as the full moon rose, treaty negotiations   
could begin and they would be allowed to roam freely about the settlement. Until then, SG-1   
was sequestered in a small hut with very little to occupy themselves. He and Daniel had   
volleyed one-liners back and forth with such alacrity, that one of the villagers had to come in   
and asked them to shut the hell up!   
  
The villager worded the request in much more diplomatic language of course.  
  
"Sorry Daniel." Jack said contritely. "I kind of forgot where we were for a second."   
  
"Hey, it happens to me all the time." Daniel said mischievously. "So you *didn't* buy Sam a   
house."  
  
"No." Jack confirmed. "But had roles been reversed and *you* had hit your head and   
suddenly thought you were a dead snake.." Daniel looked at him oddly.   
  
"I'm just saying that if buying a house was really important to you and for some reason you   
couldn't, I'd probably buy it for you." He flashed Daniel a sly smile. "Of course I'd sell it back   
to you as soon as you were feeling better."  
  
"Of course." Daniel said nodding his head in agreement.  
  
"With just a little bit of interest on top." Jack said holding up his thumb and index finger to   
show just how little it would be.  
  
"Jack would you get serious here." Daniel was starting to get impatient and more than a   
little tired. He needed Jack to cut to the chase.  
  
Jack held up both hands in surrender. "Fine." He said as he shifted in his chair. "As much   
as I would like to help Carter out, I know it would look way too weird if I were to buy her a   
house. Even if I never stepped foot in it and Carter took possession in just a few days,   
some big-wigs in DC would catch wind of it and everyone would just to the conclusion that   
Carter and I were having an affair or something."  
  
"You and Sam were married in that alternate reality." Daniel couldn't help but add. "There   
is a Jack O'Neill out there who apparently really likes Sam Carter."  
  
"Daniel, can we please not go there?" Jack asked plaintively. If he ever saw an alternate   
reality Carter again, it would be too soon.  
  
"Sorry. You were saying?"  
  
"I can't buy Carter that house, but she really, really wants it. Jacob *does* have money   
floating around on this planet, but it's locked away in her account and Jacob can't get to it."   
Jack paused and pointed a finger at Daniel. "Apparently you are her emergency contact   
with the bank, but that would require a lot of paperwork and a trip off the mountain-   
something you won't be doing anytime soon."  
  
"It's just a flesh wound Jack." Daniel said quickly thinking he could head to the bank in the   
next day or two and do what needed to be done to procure some funds for the house.  
  
"It was a little more than that Daniel." Jack paused for dramatic effect. "What was it Dr.   
Warner said? Oh yes, I remember. Something about your needing 2 pints of blood and a   
dozen stitches."  
  
"We're talking about Sam, Jack." Daniel said trying to get his friend back to the matter at   
hand.  
  
"Right. Carter. So while I couldn't buy the house out right, there was something I could do."   
Daniel gave Jack a little hand wave to continue. "I put down her earnest money."  
  
"Her what?" Daniel asked not understanding the term.  
  
"Earnest money Daniel. When someone wants to buy a house, they make an offer and   
write a check for a set amount of money. The realtor holds the money once the initial sales   
price is agreed upon and then deposited into a third party bank account where it will sit until   
the sale of the home is final. So in order to keep the prospect of the house alive, I took out   
enough money to cover Carter's earnest money. With luck, the realtor won't even need it   
until after Carter wakes up.   
  
Daniel still didn't quite understand this whole 'earnest money' thing but what he understood   
was that somehow Sam was slated to buy this house. "Jack?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"When exactly did Sam make an offer on the house?"  
  
"Yeah." Jack said exhaling loudly. "About that…. Daniel I need your help." 


	12. Hospital gurneys and rubber stamps

A/N: So..er…I goofed guys. I totally left Teal'c out of the last chapter. I needed to at   
*least* mention the poor guy! Which means that I took several hours and rewrote large   
bits of the previous chapter and several little bits of earlier chapters. Sigh. I'll be   
reposting the earlier chapters in the next week or so, but chapter 11 I uploaded just now,   
so I recommend going back and reading that one first. Sorry for any confusion!!  
  
This chapter really moves the story along and continues to have some truly classic Jack   
and Daniel scenes. I *dare* you not to laugh at the 'moving Daniel' line. You'll   
recognize it when you come to it…*G*  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chapter 12   
Thursday, 0100 Hours  
  
"Jack, you've had some pretty crazy ideas, but this seriously takes the cake." Daniel   
whispered staring up at Jack's chin.   
  
He needed to shave.  
  
"Mmm- cake." Jack said in his best Homer impression."  
  
"Jack!" Daniel hissed.  
  
"Ssshhh. We're being stealthy remember? Keep your head down."  
  
"I'm lying on a hospital gurney at 1 o'clock in the morning, my head is down." Daniel   
whispered up at Jack. He hated being wheeled around lying on his back. But   
unfortunately he really wasn't up to sitting up yet, so a wheelchair was out. And in order   
for Jack's plan to work, Daniel needed to go see Sam.  
  
"We're going to get caught Jack." Daniel whispered trying not to look up at the ceiling   
tiles; they always made him nauseous.   
  
"We might be seen Daniel, but that isn't the same as 'getting caught'."  
  
"Semantics." Daniel muttered tiredly. "A professional soldier is arguing semantics with   
me…"  
  
"Shhh! We're almost there." Daniel resisted the urge to role his eyes and concentrated   
on how good it would be to see Sam. A few hours earlier, Jacob had paid both men a   
visit and after remarking how happy he was that Teal'c was not present, and updated   
them on her condition. Sam was still sleeping but according to the latest MRI and   
catscan, everything still appeared normal and Sam should regain consciousness within   
the next 12 hours. Hopefully.   
  
"What about Jacob?" Daniel whispered keeping his eyes firmly closed.  
  
"Daniel didn't you listen to *anything* I said earlier?" Jack said slowing down slightly as   
he rounded a corner.  
  
"Well gee Jack- would that have been after you sweet-talked the night nurse into leaving   
you alone with me or before the rather painful relocation into this taxi-bed of yours?"  
  
"I said I was sorry." Jack said apologetically. "How was I to know they still had you   
hooked up to a catheter..?"  
  
"Can we not talk about this now?" Daniel said trying not to wince at the memory. Janet   
was going to kill him for sure. If Jack didn't beat her to it…  
  
"You're the one who brought it up." Jack said holding up a hand for silence. "Stay put,   
I'll be right back."  
  
"Right. I'll just stay right here Jack." Daniel muttered. "As if I have any other place to   
be."  
  
"She's here." Jack said appearing again out of nowhere. "Let's get this over with before   
the goons return."  
  
"Nurses, Jack."  
  
"Whatever."  
  
Jack skillfully maneuvered Daniel into the second wing of the infirmary and pulled his   
bed right up next to Sam's.  
  
"Help me up Jack, I want to see her."  
  
"Daniel.."  
  
"Come on Jack! The least you can do after talking me into this idea of yours is let me   
take a look at Sam."  
  
"Fine." Jack said grudgingly. "But don't you dare pull anything or Doc will seriously   
injure me."  
  
"As tempted as I am to see what Janet would do for you Jack, I'll try not to cause myself   
bodily pain." Muttering under his breath, Jack threw a pillow at the person standing in   
the corner. "Place these behind Mr. Smart Mouth's back when I tell you, ok?"  
  
"Yes Sir." The disembodied voice replied. Idly Daniel wondered just who Jack had   
roped into carrying out this harebrained scheme of his.   
  
"You ready Daniel?" Jack asked seriously as his hands slipped under Daniel's waist and   
splayed across his back.  
  
"Ready." Daniel said knowing full well this would hurt. He probably should have   
accepted that Tylenol with codeine from Jack before they disconnected his IV.  
  
"Here we go." Jack said lifting Daniel up and nodding to the airman in the corner to get   
ready with the pillows. Daniel gritted his teeth and counted to 5 in Sanskrit as his body   
protested at the movement. He could feel pillows being shoved under his back and neck   
and bit back a moan as a hand accidentally brushed against his bandaged abdomen.   
  
"That was probably a bad idea." Jack said softly as he patted Daniel's shaking hand.   
"All done Daniel."  
  
"Piece of cake." Daniel said exhaling loudly and opening his eyes.  
  
"Right."  
  
Elevated, Daniel was now able to see both Sam and a slight young woman standing   
rigidly in the corner. Making a mental note to not forget about the girl, Daniel focused his   
attention on Sam. Logically he knew she had greatly improved since the last time he   
had seen her, but at least then she had been conscious. A little mad perhaps, but   
conscious. Now she lay silent, head wrapped in a tight, clean bandage. Her breathing   
seemed to be deep and even and Daniel was relieved to see that she was only hooked   
up to a couple machines; the ubiquitous heart rate/oxygen level monitor and the ever so   
lovely catheter. Not that Daniel actually saw where the tubing went, but he had a fairly   
good idea.   
  
"Hey Sam." Daniel said softly reaching out to lightly brush his fingertips across her   
hand. "You wake up soon, ok? Jack's driving me nuts without you to run interference."  
  
"What sort of interference?" Jack asked raising an eyebrow.  
  
Ignoring Jack, Daniel continued. "I don't know if this is really the best idea Sam, but I   
don't think it will do any hard, and I know how much you want this house." Daniel   
paused as if waiting for Sam to answer.  
  
"I don't like it when Sam's quiet Jack."  
  
"Me neither Danny. Me neither." Jack held up a hand and waved two fingers at the   
lieutenant standing patiently in the corner. "Did you bring it?" Jack asked.  
  
"Yes Sir." Lieutenant Reed replied taking a few steps towards the Colonel and Dr.   
Jackson. Briskly she removed from her bag an already filled out document, an inkpad   
and a rubber stamp.  
  
"Let's get this show on the road." Jack said lifting up Sam's left hand and quickly   
removing the heart rate/ oxygen monitor from her index finger and placing it on his pinky.   
He looked up at the monitor and breathed a sigh of relief as it accepted the surrogate   
data. Hmm. Heart rate was a steady 60 beats per minute and his O2 levels were at   
99%. Ha! Take that Fraiser!  
  
"Jack!" Daniel hissed.  
  
"Right." Jack said motioning for Lt. Reed to come closer. She opened the inkpad on the   
table and handed it to Colonel. Carefully Jack rolled Sam's index finger across the   
inkpad and then onto the paper. "That's one down." He murmured as he passed the   
paper back to the Lieutenant. He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a little   
alcohol wipe packet and proceeded to clean Sam's fingertip as much as possible.   
Satisfied that it was as good as it was going to get, Jack smoothly took the finger monitor   
back off his pinky and placed it back onto Sam's index finger.  
  
"Ha!" He declared triumphantly. "Can barely see a thing!" Jack declared holding up   
Sam's hand for inspection. "Your turn Daniel." Using Sam's chart, Jack took back the   
newly fingerprinted document and had Daniel sign his name. It was slightly above the   
line, but Jack wasn't going to make a big deal out of it, what with Daniel not really able to   
see what he was signing and all… With a flourish Jack signed above his name as well   
and then gleefully handed the document back to Lt. Reed.  
  
"Are you sure I won't get into trouble for this Sir?" Reed asked as she carefully signed   
her name (centered evenly on the line).   
  
"Absolutely Lieutenant." Jack said wanting the young woman to just stamp the damn   
thing and be done with it. "You are a certified notary and we're just having you notarize   
a little document here. You did indeed witness Major Carter's fingerprint and then Dr.   
Jackson's and my signatures."   
  
"Yes Sir." Reed said slowly inking her stamp. "But I didn't actually witness Major Carter   
saying she wanted this home loan."  
  
"Trust me Lt., see really does." Jack said plaintively. Reed looked at the commanding   
officer of SG-1 and nodded. "I trust you Sir."  
  
With that she stamped the document. Before the ink had even begun to dry, she   
gathered up her stamp and inkpad and literally ran out of the room.  
  
"Way to scare the recruits Jack." Daniel grunted as his stomach muscles told him he   
needed to become horizontal as soon as humanly possible.   
  
"Reed isn't a recruit." Jack answered as he carefully removed Daniel's pillows and   
lowered him back to the bed.   
  
"She's a lighting technician working nights Jack."  
  
"Not for long Daniel." Jack said with a smile holding up the document that would get   
Carter her house.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Thursday, 0700  
  
"Jack."  
  
"Hmmph." Jack answered not bothering to remove his face from his forearms.  
  
"Wake up."  
  
"I'm awake." Jack replied still not moving.  
  
"I can see that." Jake replied sardonically. "Think you can drool in the privacy of your   
own quarters instead of on my daughter's covers?" Jacob said with humor.  
  
"What..?" Jack said whipping his head straight upwards. He blinked owlishly several   
times before focusing his eyes on Jacob. "Hey Jacob."   
  
"Good morning." Jacob said with a grin. "Sleep well?"  
  
"Never better." Jack said standing up and stretching. He tried not to grimace as his   
back muscles protested against the harsh sleeping arrangement of the night before. He   
quickly glanced back at Sam and found her still sleeping soundly.  
  
"Go get some real rest Jack, I'll watch Sammy for awhile."  
  
Jack nodded although he had no intention of going back to bed. Catching three or four   
hours of sleep by Carter's side was all her really needed. "Give me a call if there's any   
change."  
  
"Will do." Jacob said taking a seat in Jack's relinquished chair.  
  
Jack glanced at his watch. 0700. He had just enough time to shower and change.  
  
Jacob watched the tired colonel leave and shook his head. "Sammy, that's one   
dedicated commanding officer you have." Jacob said taking a hold of Sam's hand. He   
glanced down at her fingertips and frowned.  
  
Was her index finger slightly black or was that just the lighting?  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Well? Did you like??? ONE more chapter to go! (If it's two, I might shoot myself, so   
let's just hope it's one, ok?) 


	13. Jack and Evan

A/N- Dang it, dang it, dang it! I am *this* close to finishing the story; the concluding chapter   
is basically all written and ready to post. BUT, on the advice of my beta-goddess, I'm going   
to go back and flesh out a little bit of Sam's infirmary stay. *I* was content to start the next   
chapter with TEN DAYS LATER…but realized that I was copping out a bit. So back to the   
laptop I go. I know this chapter is short, but it's better than waiting 4 days for everything,   
yes?  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Chapter 13  
Thursday, 0930 Hours  
  
Jack O'Neill was nervous. Which was absolutely nuts considering the fact that he was black   
ops trained, had helped kill more than his share of false gods and had even saved the frickin   
planet…twice!  
  
"Colonel O'Neill?" The receptionist said from behind her desk. "Evan will see you now."  
  
"Thanks." Jack said standing up and tucking his cap beneath his arm. He really wasn't   
keen on wearing his dress blues yet again, but even the great Jack O'Neill recognized that a   
man in uniform tended to receive a little more respect then a guy in blue jeans and a leather   
jacket.  
  
"Colonel." Evan said tentatively holding out his hand to Jack. Jack hoped the real estate   
agent had forgotten Sam's outburst at the house. Or at least the way he and Daniel had   
shuffled Carter unceremoniously out the door with scarcely a goodbye.   
  
So much for making a good first impression.  
  
"Good to see you again Evan." Jack said shaking the man's hand.   
  
"How is Dr. Carter doing?" Evan asked with a touch of concern.   
  
"Much better thanks." Jack said relieved to say it aloud. Carter was really going to be fine.   
Still, he'd really like to hear that from her.  
  
"That's good to hear." Evan replied motioning Jack to take a seat around the conference   
table. "You have the papers with you?"   
  
"Yep." Jack said taking out the folded documents. "And you can call me Jack." Maybe the   
military title was throwing the kid off.   
  
Right.  
  
"Certainly Jack." Evan said with a nod taking a seat himself. He took a few moments to   
glance at the papers. "Everything appears to be in order.."  
  
"Oh it is!" Jack agreed with absolute certainty. The SGC had requested a legal department   
shortly after the Asgard treaty and some of the finest military lawyers had been recruited to   
help broker treaties between planets. If the guys down in legal could do that, Jack was   
certain they'd know what papers to use when dealing with power of attorney issues.  
  
"So this is how it's going to work." Evan said placing the papers Jack had brought to one   
side and bringing out another stack of papers. "From what you told me over the phone, you   
have purchased a home before and understand how this works…"  
  
"Two times actually." Jack said holding up two fingers. He didn't feel it necessary to tell   
Evan that he had actually been out of the country when his wife signed the papers on the   
first house. He had however, done the second one all on his own. Well mostly anyhow.  
  
"Right." Evan said with a small frown. He really wished someone else was working with Dr.   
Carter and this colonel of hers; the whole situation was completely bizarre! He's a guy   
willing to put down $5,000 of his own in earnest money and write up an offer on a house for   
somebody else! He had to be sleeping with her.  
  
"So I'm going to submit your offer."  
  
"Carter's offer." Jack amended.  
  
"Dr. Carter's offer of $220,000 with 20% down and $5,000 in earnest money."  
  
"That sound about right." Jack said nodding again. He had seen Carter's bank account- he   
knew what she could afford. Besides, she was considering this place at $230k- she should   
be thrilled if he can get it for her at $220k.  
  
"So what will happen from this point is that I'll take your check and we'll write up the offer for   
the seller. We may dicker once or twice over the price—but your offer of 20% down means   
you're serious- I'm sure they'll accept."  
  
"And after they do, you cash the earnest money and hold it in an account until after the   
housing inspection." Jack concluded.  
  
"Right. That's their guarantee we aren't wasting their time. Don't worry," Evan said looking   
up again from his papers and giving Jack a small smile. "I'll write this up so there's no   
possible way for them to take your earnest money without a really good reason. It's   
basically there just on the off chance the buyer is a total jerk and strings the seller along for   
several weeks and then changes his mind." Evan said sliding over the first of many   
documents to be initialed.  
  
"We expect Major Carter to wake up any day now, so if there's any minds to be changed, it'll   
happen pretty quick." Jack said hoping he sounded a little more optimistic than he felt.   
Sure Carter would wake up soon. But would she be in a position to really be thinking about   
houses? Suddenly Jack wondered if he was doing the right thing.  
  
"Right." Evan said handing Jack another paper to be initialed. "We'll use the maximum   
allotment of time available to us- which means Dr. Carter has 5 days to do a "neighborhood   
inspection" and another 10 days to schedule a housing inspection."  
  
"Neighborhood inspection?" Jack asked raising his eyebrows. What the hell was *that*?  
  
Evan chuckled. "Neighborhood inspections are mostly for out of town buyers or someone   
moving into a neighborhood they know nothing about. This gives the buyer the chance to   
walk around, talk to his neighbors and see if the neighborhood he wants to buy a home in is   
really for him."  
  
"But I don't actually have to inspect anything, right?" Jack asked worriedly. He so didn't   
have time for crap like that.  
  
"No." Evan said emphatically placing another paper to be signed under Jack's hand. They   
were coming faster now.  
  
"The big thing to remember is the housing inspection. We'll schedule that for 10 days from   
today. After the inspection, Dr. Carter- or yourself- must decide if this is the house for her   
and the deal is finalized. If at any reason you back out after that, you lose your earnest   
money."  
  
"Gotcha." Jack said initialing once again. Damn! This might as well be SGC paperwork for   
all the initialing he was doing. For nearly 10 minutes Jack signed and initialed paper after   
piece of paper. Finally the end was in sight.  
  
"There's one thing I don't quite understand Col..Jack." Evan said as he place the last   
document to be signed under Jack's hand.  
  
"What's that?" Jack asked signing his name with a little extra flourish. He breathed a sigh of   
relief and watched as Evan handed the papers to an office worker to be copied.  
  
"Well, if I'm reading all these power of attorney documents correctly, you do have the power   
to write up an offer for the house in Dr. Carters name, but you don't really have the authority   
to buy it using her money, correct?"  
  
"Yeah, that's right." Jack said. He was seriously counting on Sam's waking up and doing   
that herself.  
  
"So what happens two week from now if Dr. Carter isn't able to actually buy the house?"  
  
"She's been approved by her bank." Jack said not quite following where Evan was going.  
  
"That's now what I mean sir." Evan said shaking his head. "After the inspection is held, the   
house is basically sold and all we are waiting on is the funding. If Dr. Carter isn't able to   
work with her mortgage company, she..you will forfeit the $5,000."  
  
"That's one possibility." Jack said gathering up the stack of copied papers. "But being a   
military man, I always like to have a plan B."  
  
"Plan B?" Evan asked confused as he stood up to walk Jack out.  
  
"I've been thinking of buying a second house..." Jack said with a sly grin as he shook   
Evan's hand one final time and placing his cap back on his head. After a few paces (and   
out of Evan's hearing) Jack finished his sentence. "…Although, who's to say I won't just turn   
around and sell it back to a friend?"   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Hee hee! Isn't Jack just a doll? I do love writing our favorite Colonel.  
  
I know the detailed house stuff was probably ultra boring for those of you who haven't gone   
through the *very* tedious process. However, I just couldn't figure out where to trim it down!   
I wanted to be accurate here and the result is what you see above. The conclusion (really,   
truly) will be posted by or before Tuesday January 6th.   
  
Website: http://home.earthlink.net/~dietcokechic/fanfic.html 


	14. Sam awakes!

Author'sNotes: This is IT guys! I did it! *manic happy dance* Thank you so much   
for all of your support and feedback this last (gasp) year. It really encouraged my   
writing. Please let me know what you think!  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Imbroglio  
Chapter 14  
  
Thursday, 1600  
  
Jack came careening around the corner and only missed running into one of the   
nurses by mere inches. The nurse couldn't help but let out a startled gasp and drop   
her medical instruments. The loud crash caused Janet to turn around from where   
she, Teal'c and Jacob had gathered around Sam's bed.  
  
"Colonel!" Janet chastised with a disapproving shake of her head. Oh she had a   
pretty good idea why O'Neill was running, but did he have to scare her nurses in the   
process?  
  
"Sorry Doc." Jack said breathlessly as he pulled up next to Janet, Jacob and Teal'c.   
"I just heard."  
  
"Heard what Sir?" A raspy voice said from the bed beside him. Jack's face broke out   
into a rare, full-blown grin.  
  
"Heard that they finally got some red jello back in." Jack said attempting to sound   
nonchalant as he casually tucked his hands into his pockets.  
  
It didn't really work.  
  
"I prefer blue myself Sir." Sam said smiling slightly as she focused her eyes on her   
CO.  
  
Jack continued to smile. "Welcome back major." Jack said hoping his team could   
stay out of hospital beds in the foreseeable future; he only had a finite number of   
hairs to turn gray!   
  
"Good to be back Sir." Sam whispered hoarsely. Instantly her father was at her side   
with ice chips. He carefully fed her a spoonful and Sam sighed audibly in content.  
  
"Thanks Dad."   
  
"Anytime Sammy." Jacob replied with emotion. This had been way too close for   
comfort.  
  
"Isn't it funny how good those darn things can taste?" Jack quipped.  
  
"It is frozen water O'Neill." Teal'c answered tilting his head slightly to one side. "It   
has very little taste."   
  
Jack gave a short laugh. "Teal'c, you just haven't spent enough time under good   
Doc Frasier's care." Teal'c raised an eyebrow in question.  
  
"It's an infirmary thing Teal'c." Jack explained. "After being unconscious or injured,   
almost nothing tastes better than Janet's damn ice chips."  
  
"I'll take that as a compliment sir." Janet replied with a smile.  
  
"How are you feeling Sam?" Jack asked seriously. If Sam had any doubt that her   
injury had been serious, the use of her first name quickly shattered the illusion.  
  
"All things considered Sir, pretty good." Sam closed her eyes briefly as she thought   
about what had happened in the last couple of days. Suddenly they snapped back   
open.  
  
"Daniel!" Sam gasped as she tried to sit up. The menagerie of wires and electrodes   
prevented her from getting very far. "I stabbed him!" Sam said wildly looking   
around the infirmary. "Oh my god, I stabbed him!" In the background Sam's heart   
monitor began to beep incessantly.   
  
"Sam, you need to calm down." Janet said pushing Jack and Jacob out of the way   
and quickly adding a sedative to Sam's IV. "Dr. Jackson is just fine." She said   
soothingly.  
  
"The Doc's right Carter," Jack said over Janet's head as he looked down upon his   
distraught second. "Daniel's fine."   
  
Sam stared up at him with wide, tear filled eyes and shook her head in disbelief. "I   
remember it Sir." Sam whispered. "I remember all of it."  
  
"Danny's recovering Sam." Jacob added taking a hold of his daughter's cool hand.   
"I talked with him not even an hour ago."  
  
"Really?" Sam hiccupped as she felt her body relaxing against her will. "He's ok?"  
  
"He's fine Sam." Janet confirmed placing a hand on Sam's shoulder. "He received a   
few stitches and needed a hearty treatment of antibiotics to fight infection, but he's   
going to make a complete recovery."  
  
"Really?" Sam said again as her eye lids drooped progressively lower. "I remember   
the blood…"  
  
"He's doing great Carter. I promise." Jack said truthfully as he watched his 2IC lose   
her fight against sleep.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Thursday, 2330  
  
Sam's hand twitched slightly as she pulled herself out of a drugged sleep. She still   
felt woozy and could now understand why the Colonel complained so much whenever   
he had to spend much time in a hospital bed. Sam scarcely remembered her first   
visit to the infirmary as she had been 'touched' at the time. And with Jolinar the   
pain had been more psychological than physical. Having a symbiote die within you   
did hurt, but it wasn't a pain that could be soothed away with narcotics.   
  
"Carter?" Jack whispered noticing Sam's movement. "You awake?" He shifted   
uncomfortably in the plastic chair and vowed to talk to Hammond about getting the   
damn things padded.  
  
"Getting there Sir." Sam whispered not quite ready to open her eyes.  
  
"You know, I'd really believe you more if you would open your eyes." Jack said   
reaching out and placing a hand gently on her arm.  
  
"Slave driver." Sam whispered back as she carefully cracked first one and then her   
other eye. "It's dark in here." Sam whispered as her eyes adjusted to the faint   
light.  
  
"It's nearly midnight." Jack answered in a normal tone of voice removing his hand.   
"And you're the only one in here Carter, so you don't have to whisper."  
  
"Oh." Sam refrained from commenting that it was the Colonel who had started this   
whole whispering thing in the first place.  
  
"How do you feel?" Jack asked as he held up a cup of water and offered the straw to   
Sam.  
  
"A little groggy, but better." Sam answered truthfully as she sipped several ounces   
of water. "I don't think I'm a fan of Janet's drugs either Sir."   
  
"Welcome to my world Carter." Jack chuckled. Sam smiled slightly and then   
frowned as she remembered why she was here in the first place.  
  
"Is Daniel really going to be all right Sir?" Sam asked softly looking down at the IV   
attached to her hand. She couldn't believe she had hurt one of her closest friends.  
  
"Swear to god Carter, Daniel's fine." Jack said honestly. "And if you still don't   
believe me, you can see for yourself tomorrow when Janet moves you down the   
hall."  
  
"That'll be great Sir." Sam said yawning loudly. "How can I be tired?" She   
exclaimed, clearly frustrated. "All I've done for the last couple of days is sleep!"  
  
"Two words Carter," Jack replied holding up two fingers. "Brain." He said ticking off   
the first finger. "Surgery." He said wiggling both fingers.  
  
"Right." Sam said reaching up and touching her head. All she could feel was crisp   
bandages. "I must look a mess." Sam said with a sigh. She wasn't a vain woman,   
but she wasn't looking forward to being bald for the next 6 months either. Janet had   
explained the injury, the resulting surgery and what Sam could expect in the   
foreseeable future.  
  
Jack looked at the pale woman lying on the hospital bed before him and shook his   
head in wry amusement. "Carter, considering everything you have been through in   
the last 48 hours, you look pretty damn amazing."   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Friday, 0930  
  
"Hi Sam." Daniel said quietly from his bed as she was wheeled into the general   
infirmary area. Both Dr. Fraiser and Dr. Warner had agreed that Sam was stable   
enough to move out of the SGC's intensive care area.  
  
"Daniel." Sam exclaimed with relief. Propped up on pillows, Daniel smiled as the   
nurses arranged Sam's bed next to his own.  
  
"Finally I get some company!" Daniel groused good-naturedly.  
  
"What am I?" Jack muttered from the foot of Daniel's bed. "Chopped liver?"  
  
"Jack- you hover. Sam here will be a fellow inmate in Janet's House 'O Pain."  
  
"Very funny." Janet said from where she was adjusting Sam's IV. "You're just   
cranky because you're not allowed caffeine yet." Janet was so busy hooking up   
Sam's IVs and monitors that she missed the look passed between Jack and Daniel.  
  
"How are you doing Daniel?" Sam asked apprehensively.  
  
"I'm fine Sam." Daniel said truthfully. Sensing that Sam was still feeling guilty   
about what happened, Daniel turned the conversation around. "How about you?   
How's the head?"  
  
"Good." Sam answered. "I seem to sleep a lot." She added sheepishly.  
  
"Which is perfectly normal." Janet explained. 'Told You' Jack mouthed from Daniel's   
bedside; Sam smiled.  
  
"Actually, it's amazing that I feel as good as a I do considering everything that has   
happened."  
  
"It's the Carter genes." Jacob said from the doorway.  
  
"Dad!"  
  
"Hi Sammy." Jacob said walking to his daughter's side. "I just wanted to come and   
make sure you're settled in before leaving."  
  
"More Tok'ra spy stuff, Jacob?" Jack asked cheekily.  
  
"Honey, I don't know how you can put up with a CO like that." Jacob muttered as he   
leaned down to give her a kiss on the forehead.  
  
"The Colonel grows on you Dad." Sam said giving her dad an awkward one-armed   
hug. The profusion of wires and tubes attached to the right side of her body   
prevented anything more.  
  
"That's what I'm afraid of!" Jacob said with a laugh. "Daniel, you get better soon."   
Jacob ordered. "And Jack.."  
  
"Jacob?"  
  
"Try keeping the kids out of trouble next time, ok?"  
  
"Yeahsureyoubetcha."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Tuesday, 1200  
  
"Daniel, what's with the Colonel?" Sam asked as she picked at the unappetizing food   
in front of her.  
  
"What do you mean?" Daniel asked looking over the tops of his glasses. He had   
waved away his lunch in hopes of catching up on some much needed work. After   
hearing that Janet had taken the day off, Daniel had quickly sweet-talked a nurse   
into allowing him access to a few books.   
  
'Few' being open for interpretation.  
  
Sam shook her head as she chuckled at Daniel's feeble attempts to hide some of his   
books under the covers. "You know Janet is going to find out you skipped a meal."   
Sam said as she watched Daniel scribble down something in a journal.  
  
"Maybe." Daniel said as he quickly picked up a book and rifled through the contents   
for a specific passage. "But I needed to get some work done." Not looking up at   
Sam he continued, "I've been holed up here for way too long Sam!"  
  
"Daniel, your fever spiked to 103 two nights ago!" Sam said patiently shaking her   
head. She didn't like staying here any more than Daniel did, but at least she   
recognized that it probably wasn't a good idea to rush on home after having a hole   
drilled into your skull. "You caught a pretty serious infection and Janet just wants to   
make sure the antibiotics are working before sending you home."  
  
"Next time Sam," Daniel said looking up from his books and chuckling to himself.   
"Sterilize your nail files before stabbing a person, ok?" As soon as the words were   
out of his mouth, Daniel realized he had made a mistake.  
  
Sam pushed away the table holding her food and looked down at her hands. "I am   
so sorry Daniel."  
  
"Ah Sam, don't." Daniel said reaching out and brushing his fingertips across Sam's   
arm. "It wasn't your fault."  
  
"Not consciously, no." Sam agreed not meeting Daniel's eyes. "But it was still my   
actions that hurt you Daniel."  
  
"Sam, look at me." Daniel urged wishing he were closer. There was just enough   
room for them to push a table between them for a game of cards or chess.  
  
Slowly Sam raised her head and looked at Daniel. "Sam, do you believe it was my   
fault Sha're was kidnapped?"   
  
"Of course not!" Sam said emphatically shaking her head.  
  
"But I was the one who opened the Stargate." Daniel explained quietly. It was my   
actions that resulted in both Sha're and Ska'ra's kidnappings. Daniel paused. "My   
actions Sam," He said softly.  
  
Sam brushed her hand across her eyes to wipe away a few stray tears. In her heart   
she knew that Daniel was right, but it still hurt her to see her friend lying flushed and   
injured next to her. She held out her hand and grasped Daniel's overheated one   
gently.  
  
"Thanks Daniel."  
  
"So enough with the guilt!" Daniel said clearing his throat. "I think you had asked   
me a question at some point..?"  
  
"Yes." Sam said nodding her head. "Don't you think he's acting a little odd?"  
  
"Jack? Odd?" Daniel said mockingly.  
  
"You know what I mean." Sam said with a smile. "The Colonel comes in, visits for a   
while and then scurries on off at odd times of the day on 'errands'."  
  
"Jack can do errands." Daniel said uncomfortably. He knew exactly what Jack was   
doing and wasn't quite sure he could keep it from Sam. Something Sam was very   
quickly able to figure out.  
  
"You know what he's doing!" Sam exclaimed watching Daniel fidget with his blanket.  
  
"No, I don't." Daniel said too quickly.  
  
"Daniel!" Sam said in her 'you're lying and I know it' tone of voice.  
  
"It's Jack's call Sam." Daniel said giving up the attempt at secrecy. "If you want   
him to tell you what he's doing, you'll have to ask him."  
  
"Get the Colonel to fill me in on a secret?" Sam said shaking her head at the futility   
of it. "I don't think he'll tell me Daniel." She looked at him expectedly.   
  
"Oh no Sam!" Daniel said shaking his head. "If I tell, Jack will have me working out   
with the marines for the next month." He shook his head emphatically. "It's not   
going to happen."  
  
"Oh come on Daniel." Sam cajoled.   
  
"Nope." Daniel said adjusting his pillows and opening up the nearest book.  
  
"Coward." Sam muttered sinking back to her bed in frustration. She hated   
surprises.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
There *is* one more chapter, but I'm posting it immediately after this one! 


	15. Conclusion

Imbroglio  
Chapter 15  
  
One Week Later  
  
"You sure Carter's ok to leave Doc?" Jack asked worriedly eyeing the slowly moving   
major putting on her shoes across the room. She was already dressed in loose pants   
and a sleeveless top. Over the top Sam wore a lightweight sweater.  
  
"Positive Sir." Janet said a little confused. "But weren't you the one who.."  
  
"Ack!" Jack said holding up a hand to stop Janet from going any further. "None of that!   
The walls have ears you know."  
  
"The walls have ears Jack?" Daniel said behind him.  
  
Jack shook his head with an amused grunt. "Ambulatory archaeologists have ears as   
well." He looked Daniel up and down and was pleased to note that his friend seemed to   
be healing nicely himself. He had scared everyone for a bit there with his infection, but   
that was quickly brought under control. Daniel now looked well rested and content   
leaning against the doorway holding a steaming cup of what was most likely coffee.  
  
"You eating all your vegetables and laying off the caffeine Dr. Jackson?" Jack asked   
with a twinkle in his eye.  
  
"Jack, I never lay off the caffeine." Daniel answered completely shocked that Jack would   
even suggest such a thing. Belatedly he realized that Janet, his doctor Janet, was   
standing right beside him. He gave her his best puppy dog look and tried to backpedal   
his way out of it. "Unless of courses I've been told that my life depends on abstention."   
He paused considering something. "Threats of multiple sponge baths usually work as   
well." Daniel recalled with a shudder.   
  
"I'll remember that Dr. Jackson." Janet said with a smile as she went to check on Sam.  
  
"Way to get me in trouble Jack!" Daniel grumbled as he took a sip of his coffee. He   
sighed happily as the freshly ground Sumatran beans instantly obliterated any thought of   
future infirmary visits. God he loved coffee! Janet had only released him the day before   
and this was the first really good coffee he'd had in nearly 2 weeks. Still, maybe he   
could have met Jack and Sam in his lab...  
  
"Hey! You're the one who insists on going against Fraiser's orders." Jack insisted.  
  
"Right!" Daniel scoffed. "I might drink a little illegal coffee every now and then.."  
  
"Constantly." Jack amended with a knowing nod.  
  
"But you are the one who actually escapes the infirmary against medical advice."  
  
Jack was about to open his mouth and respond when a soft voice stopped him in mid-  
thought. "I'm all ready Sir."   
  
"Great to see you up Sam." .  
  
"What? You didn't like playing chess with me in bed?"   
  
"Excuse me?" Jack asked looking first from his 2IC then to his best friend. "Is there   
something I need to know here?"  
  
"Infirmary Jack." Daniel explained patiently. "Up until yesterday both of us were in the   
infirmary, remember?"  
  
"Ah. Right. I knew that." Sam ducked her head slightly and smiled. She had missed   
this!  
  
"So Sir," Sam began as they made their way to the elevators. "Are you going to tell me   
what this is all about now?"  
  
"Nope." Jack said as he ushered his friends into the elevator.  
  
"Well, it can't be a party." Sam surmised aloud.  
  
"And why is that?" Jack asked curiously giving her a quick glance to make sure she was   
still steady on her feet.  
  
"Because I happen to know that Teal'c is still away on a mission with SG-3 and you   
wouldn't have planned a party without him." Sam replied self-assuredly.   
  
"Yeah- a party just isn't a party without 'T." Jack said nodding his head in agreement.  
  
"I'm going to tell Teal'c you said that Sir." Sam said with a chuckle. They exited the   
elevator and after signing out at the front desk, walked to Jack's truck.  
  
"Carter, you have to take the middle seat- Daniel tends to fidget when he sits there."  
  
"Jack, you drive a stick!" Daniel protested. He still hadn't forgotten the way Jack had   
shifted the truck into fourth while he had the middle seat and Teal'c sat on the far right.   
Another couple of inches and...  
  
"Your fault Daniel for straddling the damn thing instead of keeping both legs to the   
RIGHT!" Sam laughed as Jack opened the passenger door and helped Sam get into her   
seat. Gratefully Daniel took the seat next to her as Jack walked around and opened the   
driver's side.  
  
Jack put his keys in the ignition and was just about to start the car when he noticed Sam   
staring into the rear view mirror- staring into the mirror and frowning.  
  
"Carter?" Jack asked turning to look at her. "You ok?"   
  
"Fine Sir." Sam said pulling her eyes away from the mirror. "I just haven't really seen   
myself up close in a couple of weeks and it took me by surprise a bit." Self-consciously   
she adjusted the silk scarf wrapped around her head. Sam knew it was only hair and it   
would grow back to a decent enough length in 6 months or so, but for the moment, she   
was still pretty much bald.  
  
"You look great Sam." Daniel said sincerely from her right.   
  
"You look alive Carter." Jack added seriously. "And I bet you $20 bucks that if you went   
out tonight, some poor schmuck would try and pick you up."  
  
"What? Are you crazy Sir?" Sam said scrunching up her face. "I look like a woman   
who..."  
  
"Sam," Jack said gently adjusting the mirror so it was out of Sam's line of sight. "You   
look great." And he meant it too.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"You know you'll have to tell me sometime Sir." Sam said after they had been driving   
for several minutes.   
  
"Gee Carter, if I didn't know any better, I would say you're impatient." Jack said shooting   
his Major a glance.  
  
"Maybe a little," Sam admitted. "Don't get me wrong Sir, it's great to be out of the   
infirmary-I just like to know where I'm going- what to expect."  
  
"So says the woman who walks through worm holes on a weekly basis." Jack scoffed.  
  
"Well, at least I know where I'm going Sir."  
  
"Ah- but you never quite know what to expect, right?" Jack countered.  
  
Sam sighed. "No. I guess I don't."  
  
"Ah, come on Sam," Daniel cajoled. "You're just like me- you love finding new things   
through the Stargate."  
  
"But that's work Daniel." Sam said attempting to explain. "I like my home life to be a   
little more organized and structured."  
  
"Funny you should mention home life Carter." Jack said smiling as he pulled the car to a   
stop outside of a very familiar looking house.  
  
"Sir..?" Sam was completely and utterly confused. "Isn't this the house I looked at with   
you and Daniel two weeks ago?"  
  
"Yep." Jack said helping her out of the car.  
  
"But.." The front door of the house opened and Evan stepped out.  
  
"Good to see you back on your feet Dr. Carter!" Evan said warmly as he walked up and   
shook her hand. "I'll be around back if you need me." He said to Jack before   
disappearing around the side of the house.  
  
"I am completely confused." Sam said unnecessarily as Jack and Daniel led her inside.   
All of the previous tenant's furniture had been removed, only a small card table and two   
folding chair remained.  
  
"Sir..?" Sam asked turning towards her CO.  
  
"It's yours Sam." Jack said simply leading her towards the table and chairs. "The   
inspection was two days ago and everything checked out. If you still want to buy this   
house, it's yours."  
  
Sam's eyes filled with tears as she looked down at the documents on the table. "But   
how..?"  
  
"It was pretty much a team effort Carter." Jack said smiling as he watched Sam pick up   
the deed to the house with shaking hands.  
  
"Don't let him fool you Sam- Jack pretty much decided you wanted this house and made   
sure it happened." Daniel explained taking a seat beside Sam.  
  
"It's really mine?" Sam whispered looking around the empty room. "This house is really   
mine?"  
  
"All you need to do is sign on the dotted line Carter." Jack explained. "Well lines really."   
Jack said flexing his fingers. "There's a lot of paperwork involved in all of this."  
  
"After you sign the papers, Evan will do the rest. With luck Carter, you'll have the keys   
to this place by the end of the month." Sam could only nod as she desperately tried to   
keep her emotions at bay. A house! She was going to own a house!  
  
"So, Carter," Jack said slightly nervous. "You still interested?" What if he had made the   
wrong call? What if Sam really didn't want this house and it was just the damn head   
injury talking?  
  
"Absolutely Sir." Sam said through watery eyes, giving him a 1000-watt smile.  
  
"Congratulations Sam." Daniel said warmly, standing up and giving her a small kiss on   
the cheek. "I'll go get Evan."  
  
Sam remained sitting for several long moments staring at the papers in front of her.  
  
"This is real?" She asked herself not realizing she was speaking aloud.  
  
"It's real Carter." Jack answered gently taking a seat next to her.  
  
Sam turned to look at her commanding officer. She knew without a shadow of doubt   
that he was the one responsible for seeing this through. "Thank you Sir." Sam said   
emotionally.  
  
"Anytime, Carter. Anytime."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Completed Januray 4th, 2004.  
So..? What do you think? Go on now, hit the little button and let me know! Should I   
write another epic action/adventure/minor whumping story? Should I try some more   
humor? Suggestions always appreciated!  
  
My website: http://home.earthlink.net/~dietcokechic/imbroglio.html 


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